diff --git a/direct/src/showbase/ExceptionVarDump.py b/direct/src/showbase/ExceptionVarDump.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..0e7575e767
--- /dev/null
+++ b/direct/src/showbase/ExceptionVarDump.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+from direct.directnotify.DirectNotifyGlobal import directNotify
+from direct.showbase.PythonUtil import fastRepr
+from exceptions import Exception
+import sys
+import traceback
+
+reentry = 0
+
+def _varDump__init__(self, *args, **kArgs):
+    global reentry
+    if reentry > 0:
+        return
+    reentry += 1
+    f = 1
+    self._savedExcString = None
+    self._savedStackFrames = []
+    while True:
+        try:
+            frame = sys._getframe(f)
+            f += 1
+            self._savedStackFrames.append(frame)
+        except:
+            break
+    self._moved__init__(*args, **kArgs)
+    reentry -= 1
+
+sReentry = 0
+
+def _varDump__str__(self, *args, **kArgs):
+    global sReentry
+    if sReentry > 0:
+        return
+    sReentry += 1
+    if not self._savedExcString:
+        s = ''
+        foundRun = False
+        for frame in reversed(self._savedStackFrames):
+            filename = frame.f_code.co_filename
+            codename = frame.f_code.co_name
+            if not foundRun and codename != 'run':
+                # don't print stack frames before run(),
+                # they contain builtins and are huge
+                continue
+            foundRun = True
+            s += '\nlocals for %s:%s\n' % (filename, codename)
+            locals = frame.f_locals
+            for var in locals:
+                obj = locals[var]
+                rep = fastRepr(obj)
+                s += '::%s = %s\n' % (var, rep)
+        self._savedExcString = s
+        self._savedStackFrames = None
+    notify = directNotify.newCategory("ExceptionVarDump")
+    notify.info(self._savedExcString)
+    str = self._moved__str__(*args, **kArgs)
+    sReentry -= 1
+    return str
+
+def install():
+    if not hasattr(Exception, '_moved__init__'):
+        Exception._moved__init__ = Exception.__init__
+        Exception.__init__ = _varDump__init__
+        Exception._moved__str__ = Exception.__str__
+        Exception.__str__ = _varDump__str__