diff --git a/django/core/handlers/base.py b/django/core/handlers/base.py
index f144ce4bb1..1539e795d0 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/base.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/base.py
@@ -68,24 +68,24 @@ class BaseHandler(object):
         from django.core import exceptions, urlresolvers
         from django.conf import settings
 
-        # Reset the urlconf for this thread.
-        urlresolvers.set_urlconf(None)
-
-        # Apply request middleware
-        for middleware_method in self._request_middleware:
-            response = middleware_method(request)
-            if response:
-                return response
-
-        # Get urlconf from request object, if available.  Otherwise use default.
-        urlconf = getattr(request, "urlconf", settings.ROOT_URLCONF)
-
-        # Set the urlconf for this thread to the one specified above.
-        urlresolvers.set_urlconf(urlconf)
-
-        resolver = urlresolvers.RegexURLResolver(r'^/', urlconf)
         try:
             try:
+                # Reset the urlconf for this thread.
+                urlresolvers.set_urlconf(None)
+
+                # Get urlconf from request object, if available.  Otherwise use default.
+                urlconf = getattr(request, "urlconf", settings.ROOT_URLCONF)
+
+                # Set the urlconf for this thread to the one specified above.
+                urlresolvers.set_urlconf(urlconf)
+                resolver = urlresolvers.RegexURLResolver(r'^/', urlconf)
+
+                # Apply request middleware
+                for middleware_method in self._request_middleware:
+                    response = middleware_method(request)
+                    if response:
+                        return response
+
                 callback, callback_args, callback_kwargs = resolver.resolve(
                         request.path_info)
 
diff --git a/django/middleware/common.py b/django/middleware/common.py
index b2c97c6740..9fbbdba63a 100644
--- a/django/middleware/common.py
+++ b/django/middleware/common.py
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ class CommonMiddleware(object):
         settings.APPEND_SLASH and settings.PREPEND_WWW
         """
 
+        assert False, 1
+
         # Check for denied User-Agents
         if 'HTTP_USER_AGENT' in request.META:
             for user_agent_regex in settings.DISALLOWED_USER_AGENTS:
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/models.py b/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..137941ffae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from django.db import models
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/tests.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2f950a0c4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import sys
+
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.core.signals import got_request_exception
+
+class RequestMiddleware(object):
+    def process_request(self, request):
+        raise Exception('Exception')
+
+class MiddlewareExceptionTest(TestCase):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        super(MiddlewareExceptionTest, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.exceptions = []
+        got_request_exception.connect(self._on_request_exception)
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.client.handler.load_middleware()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self.exceptions = []
+
+    def _on_request_exception(self, sender, request, **kwargs):
+        self.exceptions.append(sys.exc_info())
+
+    def test_process_request(self):
+        self.client.handler._request_middleware.insert(0, RequestMiddleware().process_request)
+        try:
+            response = self.client.get('/')
+        except:
+            # Test client indefinitely re-raises any exceptions being raised
+            # during request handling. Hence actual testing that exception was
+            # properly handled is done by relying on got_request_exception
+            # signal being sent.
+            pass
+        self.assertEquals(len(self.exceptions), 1)
+        exception, value, tb = self.exceptions[0]
+        self.assertEquals(value.args, ('Exception', ))
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/urls.py b/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/urls.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..63f3ba1496
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/urls.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# coding: utf-8
+from django.conf.urls.defaults import *
+
+import views
+
+urlpatterns = patterns('',
+    (r'^$', views.index),
+)
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/views.py b/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/views.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e2d597d9b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/middleware_exceptions/views.py
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+from django import http
+
+def index(request):
+    return http.HttpResponse('')
diff --git a/tests/urls.py b/tests/urls.py
index 4d123a2e8a..01d6408c5a 100644
--- a/tests/urls.py
+++ b/tests/urls.py
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ urlpatterns = patterns('',
     # conditional get views
     (r'condition/', include('regressiontests.conditional_processing.urls')),
 
+    # middleware exceptions tests
+    (r'middleware_exceptions/', include('regressiontests.middleware_exceptions.urls')),
+
     # special headers views
     (r'special_headers/', include('regressiontests.special_headers.urls')),
 )