diff --git a/nipype/pipeline/plugins/base.py b/nipype/pipeline/plugins/base.py
index d7b7d64179..ff84937bc6 100644
--- a/nipype/pipeline/plugins/base.py
+++ b/nipype/pipeline/plugins/base.py
@@ -7,13 +7,13 @@
                         absolute_import)
 from builtins import range, object, open
 
+import sys
 from copy import deepcopy
 from glob import glob
 import os
 import shutil
-import sys
 from time import sleep, time
-from traceback import format_exc
+from traceback import format_exception
 
 import numpy as np
 import scipy.sparse as ssp
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ def run(self, graph, config, updatehash=False):
                             graph,
                             result={
                                 'result': None,
-                                'traceback': format_exc()
+                                'traceback': '\n'.join(format_exception(*sys.exc_info()))
                             }))
                 else:
                     if result:
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ def _submit_mapnode(self, jobid):
         mapnodesubids = self.procs[jobid].get_subnodes()
         numnodes = len(mapnodesubids)
         logger.debug('Adding %d jobs for mapnode %s', numnodes,
-                     self.procs[jobid]._id)
+                     self.procs[jobid])
         for i in range(numnodes):
             self.mapnodesubids[self.depidx.shape[0] + i] = jobid
         self.procs.extend(mapnodesubids)
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ def _send_procs_to_workers(self, updatehash=False, graph=None):
                 slots = None
             else:
                 slots = max(0, self.max_jobs - num_jobs)
-            logger.debug('Slots available: %s' % slots)
+            logger.debug('Slots available: %s', slots)
             if (num_jobs >= self.max_jobs) or (slots == 0):
                 break
 
@@ -303,14 +303,14 @@ def _send_procs_to_workers(self, updatehash=False, graph=None):
                     self.proc_done[jobid] = True
                     self.proc_pending[jobid] = True
                     # Send job to task manager and add to pending tasks
-                    logger.info('Submitting: %s ID: %d' %
-                                (self.procs[jobid]._id, jobid))
+                    logger.info('Submitting: %s ID: %d',
+                                self.procs[jobid], jobid)
                     if self._status_callback:
                         self._status_callback(self.procs[jobid], 'start')
 
                     if not self._local_hash_check(jobid, graph):
                         if self.procs[jobid].run_without_submitting:
-                            logger.debug('Running node %s on master thread' %
+                            logger.debug('Running node %s on master thread',
                                          self.procs[jobid])
                             try:
                                 self.procs[jobid].run()
@@ -327,8 +327,8 @@ def _send_procs_to_workers(self, updatehash=False, graph=None):
                                 self.proc_pending[jobid] = False
                             else:
                                 self.pending_tasks.insert(0, (tid, jobid))
-                    logger.info('Finished submitting: %s ID: %d' %
-                                (self.procs[jobid]._id, jobid))
+                    logger.info('Finished submitting: %s ID: %d',
+                                self.procs[jobid], jobid)
             else:
                 break
 
@@ -337,22 +337,38 @@ def _local_hash_check(self, jobid, graph):
                 self.procs[jobid].config['execution']['local_hash_check']):
             return False
 
-        cached, updated = self.procs[jobid].is_cached()
+        try:
+            cached, updated = self.procs[jobid].is_cached()
+        except Exception:
+            logger.warning(
+                'Error while checking node hash, forcing re-run. '
+                'Although this error may not prevent the workflow from running, '
+                'it could indicate a major problem. Please report a new issue '
+                'at https://github.com/nipy/nipype/issues adding the following '
+                'information:\n\n\tNode: %s\n\tInterface: %s.%s\n\tTraceback:\n%s',
+                self.procs[jobid],
+                self.procs[jobid].interface.__module__,
+                self.procs[jobid].interface.__class__.__name__,
+                '\n'.join(format_exception(*sys.exc_info()))
+            )
+            return False
+
         logger.debug('Checking hash "%s" locally: cached=%s, updated=%s.',
-                    self.procs[jobid].fullname, cached, updated)
+                     self.procs[jobid], cached, updated)
         overwrite = self.procs[jobid].overwrite
-        always_run = self.procs[jobid]._interface.always_run
+        always_run = self.procs[jobid].interface.always_run
 
         if cached and updated and (overwrite is False or
                                    overwrite is None and not always_run):
             logger.debug('Skipping cached node %s with ID %s.',
-                         self.procs[jobid]._id, jobid)
+                         self.procs[jobid], jobid)
             try:
                 self._task_finished_cb(jobid, cached=True)
                 self._remove_node_dirs()
             except Exception:
-                logger.debug('Error skipping cached node %s (%s).',
-                             self.procs[jobid]._id, jobid)
+                logger.debug('Error skipping cached node %s (%s).\n\n%s',
+                             self.procs[jobid], jobid,
+                             '\n'.join(format_exception(*sys.exc_info())))
                 self._clean_queue(jobid, graph)
                 self.proc_pending[jobid] = False
             return True
@@ -364,7 +380,7 @@ def _task_finished_cb(self, jobid, cached=False):
         This is called when a job is completed.
         """
         logger.info('[Job %d] %s (%s).', jobid, 'Cached'
-                    if cached else 'Completed', self.procs[jobid].fullname)
+                    if cached else 'Completed', self.procs[jobid])
         if self._status_callback:
             self._status_callback(self.procs[jobid], 'end')
         # Update job and worker queues
@@ -481,7 +497,7 @@ def _get_result(self, taskid):
                                      taskid, timeout, node_dir))
                 raise IOError(error_message)
             except IOError as e:
-                result_data['traceback'] = format_exc()
+                result_data['traceback'] = '\n'.join(format_exception(*sys.exc_info()))
         else:
             results_file = glob(os.path.join(node_dir, 'result_*.pklz'))[0]
             result_data = loadpkl(results_file)