diff --git a/django/core/management/templates.py b/django/core/management/templates.py
index f768cc6999..0a6a3a8932 100644
--- a/django/core/management/templates.py
+++ b/django/core/management/templates.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import with_statement
 import cgi
+import errno
 import mimetypes
 import os
 import posixpath
@@ -77,7 +78,11 @@ class TemplateCommand(BaseCommand):
             try:
                 os.makedirs(top_dir)
             except OSError, e:
-                raise CommandError(e)
+                if e.errno == errno.EEXIST:
+                    message = "'%s' already exists" % top_dir
+                else:
+                    message = e
+                raise CommandError(message)
         else:
             top_dir = path.expanduser(target)
 
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/admin_scripts/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/admin_scripts/tests.py
index 0a7c56c86e..17a2ccb194 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/admin_scripts/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/admin_scripts/tests.py
@@ -1382,7 +1382,7 @@ class StartProject(LiveServerTestCase, AdminScriptTestCase):
         # running again..
         out, err = self.run_django_admin(args)
         self.assertNoOutput(out)
-        self.assertOutput(err, "File exists")
+        self.assertOutput(err, "already exists")
 
     def test_invalid_project_name(self):
         "Make sure the startproject management command validates a project name"