diff --git a/django/core/handlers/modpython.py b/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
index db3c33147b..41d9a578c5 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
@@ -16,9 +16,26 @@ class ModPythonRequest(http.HttpRequest):
         self.path = req.uri
 
     def __repr__(self):
+        # Since this is called as part of error handling, we need to be very
+        # robust against potentially malformed input.
+        try:
+            get = pformat(self.GET)
+        except:
+            get = '<could not parse>'
+        try:
+            post = pformat(self.POST)
+        except:
+            post = '<could not parse>'
+        try:
+            cookies = pformat(self.COOKIES)
+        except:
+            cookies = '<could not parse>'
+        try:
+            meta = pformat(self.META)
+        except:
+            meta = '<could not parse>'
         return '<ModPythonRequest\npath:%s,\nGET:%s,\nPOST:%s,\nCOOKIES:%s,\nMETA:%s>' % \
-            (self.path, pformat(self.GET), pformat(self.POST), pformat(self.COOKIES),
-            pformat(self.META))
+            (self.path, get, post, cookies, meta)
 
     def get_full_path(self):
         return '%s%s' % (self.path, self._req.args and ('?' + self._req.args) or '')
diff --git a/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py b/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
index 87e67e9c5b..85e234c8d2 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
@@ -78,9 +78,26 @@ class WSGIRequest(http.HttpRequest):
         self.method = environ['REQUEST_METHOD'].upper()
 
     def __repr__(self):
+        # Since this is called as part of error handling, we need to be very
+        # robust against potentially malformed input.
+        try:
+            get = pformat(self.GET)
+        except:
+            get = '<could not parse>'
+        try:
+            post = pformat(self.POST)
+        except:
+            post = '<could not parse>'
+        try:
+            cookies = pformat(self.COOKIES)
+        except:
+            cookies = '<could not parse>'
+        try:
+            meta = pformat(self.META)
+        except:
+            meta = '<could not parse>'
         return '<WSGIRequest\nGET:%s,\nPOST:%s,\nCOOKIES:%s,\nMETA:%s>' % \
-            (pformat(self.GET), pformat(self.POST), pformat(self.COOKIES),
-            pformat(self.META))
+            (get, post, cookies, meta)
 
     def get_full_path(self):
         return '%s%s' % (self.path, self.environ.get('QUERY_STRING', '') and ('?' + self.environ.get('QUERY_STRING', '')) or '')