diff --git a/django/core/management/base.py b/django/core/management/base.py
index 31c2849075..7b8a3e987f 100644
--- a/django/core/management/base.py
+++ b/django/core/management/base.py
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ class BaseCommand(object):
             help='The Python path to a settings module, e.g. "myproject.settings.main". If this isn\'t provided, the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE environment variable will be used.'),
         make_option('--pythonpath',
             help='A directory to add to the Python path, e.g. "/home/djangoprojects/myproject".'),
+        make_option('--traceback', action='store_true',
+            help='Print traceback on exception'),
     )
     help = ''
     args = ''
diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/dumpdata.py b/django/core/management/commands/dumpdata.py
index 090053aaf9..01b44a8282 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/dumpdata.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/dumpdata.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
 
         format = options.get('format', 'json')
         indent = options.get('indent', None)
+        show_traceback = options.get('traceback', False)
 
         if len(app_labels) == 0:
             app_list = get_apps()
@@ -42,4 +43,6 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         try:
             return serializers.serialize(format, objects, indent=indent)
         except Exception, e:
+            if show_traceback:
+                raise
             raise CommandError("Unable to serialize database: %s" % e)
diff --git a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
index e22b78d517..fb0325906d 100644
--- a/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
+++ b/django/core/management/commands/loaddata.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
         self.style = no_style()
 
         verbosity = int(options.get('verbosity', 1))
+        show_traceback = options.get('traceback', False)
 
         # Keep a count of the installed objects and fixtures
         count = [0, 0]
@@ -98,11 +99,13 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
                                 label_found = True
                             except Exception, e:
                                 fixture.close()
+                                transaction.rollback()
+                                transaction.leave_transaction_management()
+                                if show_traceback:
+                                    raise
                                 sys.stderr.write(
                                     self.style.ERROR("Problem installing fixture '%s': %s\n" %
                                          (full_path, str(e))))
-                                transaction.rollback()
-                                transaction.leave_transaction_management()
                                 return
                             fixture.close()
                     except: