diff --git a/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/Authentication.java b/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/Authentication.java
index dec58cc6782..ba18ef75b0d 100644
--- a/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/Authentication.java
+++ b/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/Authentication.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 package org.eclipse.jetty.server;
 
+import javax.servlet.ServletException;
 import javax.servlet.ServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.ServletResponse;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
@@ -35,6 +36,15 @@ import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
  */
 public interface Authentication
 {
+    /* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+    public static class Failed extends QuietServletException
+    {
+       public Failed(String message)
+       {
+           super(message);
+       }
+    }
+    
     /* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
     /** A successful Authentication with User information.
      */
diff --git a/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/QuietServletException.java b/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/QuietServletException.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5b028b30dc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/QuietServletException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+//
+//  ========================================================================
+//  Copyright (c) 1995-2013 Mort Bay Consulting Pty. Ltd.
+//  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//  All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
+//  are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
+//  and Apache License v2.0 which accompanies this distribution.
+//
+//      The Eclipse Public License is available at
+//      http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+//
+//      The Apache License v2.0 is available at
+//      http://www.opensource.org/licenses/apache2.0.php
+//
+//  You may elect to redistribute this code under either of these licenses.
+//  ========================================================================
+//
+
+package org.eclipse.jetty.server;
+
+import javax.servlet.ServletException;
+
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+/** A ServletException that is logged less verbosely than
+ * a normal ServletException.
+ * <p>
+ * Used for container generated exceptions that need only a message rather
+ * than a stack trace.
+ * </p>
+ */
+public class QuietServletException extends ServletException
+{
+    public QuietServletException()
+    {
+        super();
+    }
+
+    public QuietServletException(String message, Throwable rootCause)
+    {
+        super(message,rootCause);
+    }
+
+    public QuietServletException(String message)
+    {
+        super(message);
+    }
+
+    public QuietServletException(Throwable rootCause)
+    {
+        super(rootCause);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/Request.java b/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/Request.java
index 646f7709170..7c7cff301d3 100644
--- a/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/Request.java
+++ b/jetty-server/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/Request.java
@@ -2096,11 +2096,11 @@ public class Request implements HttpServletRequest
         {
             _authentication=((Authentication.Deferred)_authentication).login(username,password,this);
             if (_authentication == null)
-                throw new ServletException("Authentication failed for "+username+" in "+_authentication);
+                throw new Authentication.Failed("Authentication failed for username '"+username+"'");
         }
         else
         {
-            throw new ServletException("Already authenticated as "+_authentication);
+            throw new Authentication.Failed("Authenticated failed for username '"+username+"'. Already authenticated as "+_authentication);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/jetty-server/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/HttpServerTestBase.java b/jetty-server/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/HttpServerTestBase.java
index 19f364ca6e2..fbe4baa0925 100644
--- a/jetty-server/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/HttpServerTestBase.java
+++ b/jetty-server/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/HttpServerTestBase.java
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ public abstract class HttpServerTestBase extends HttpServerTestFixture
             @Override
             public void handle(String target, Request baseRequest, HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws IOException, ServletException
             {
-                throw new ServletException("TEST handler exception");
+                throw new QuietServletException("TEST handler exception");
             }
         });
 
diff --git a/jetty-servlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/servlet/ServletHandler.java b/jetty-servlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/servlet/ServletHandler.java
index 98d7ccbc203..34ea485f1be 100644
--- a/jetty-servlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/servlet/ServletHandler.java
+++ b/jetty-servlet/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/servlet/ServletHandler.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ import org.eclipse.jetty.security.IdentityService;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.security.SecurityHandler;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.Dispatcher;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.HttpChannel;
+import org.eclipse.jetty.server.QuietServletException;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.Request;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.ServletRequestHttpWrapper;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.ServletResponseHttpWrapper;
@@ -476,10 +477,20 @@ public class ServletHandler extends ScopedHandler
             }
             else if (th instanceof ServletException)
             {
-                LOG.warn(th);
-                Throwable cause=((ServletException)th).getRootCause();
-                if (cause!=null)
+                if (th instanceof QuietServletException)
+                { 
+                    LOG.debug(th);
+                    LOG.warn(th.toString());
+                }
+                else
+                    LOG.warn(th);
+                while (th instanceof ServletException)
+                {
+                    Throwable cause=((ServletException)th).getRootCause();
+                    if (cause==null)
+                        break;
                     th=cause;
+                }
             }
             // handle or log exception
             else if (th instanceof EofException)
@@ -1392,6 +1403,7 @@ public class ServletHandler extends ScopedHandler
         }
 
         /* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+        @Override
         public void doFilter(ServletRequest request, ServletResponse response)
             throws IOException, ServletException
         {
@@ -1443,6 +1455,7 @@ public class ServletHandler extends ScopedHandler
 
         }
 
+        @Override
         public String toString()
         {
             if (_filterHolder!=null)
@@ -1471,6 +1484,7 @@ public class ServletHandler extends ScopedHandler
         }
 
         /* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+        @Override
         public void doFilter(ServletRequest request, ServletResponse response)
             throws IOException, ServletException
         {
@@ -1524,6 +1538,7 @@ public class ServletHandler extends ScopedHandler
         }
 
         /* ------------------------------------------------------------ */
+        @Override
         public String toString()
         {
             StringBuilder b = new StringBuilder();
@@ -1572,5 +1587,4 @@ public class ServletHandler extends ScopedHandler
             _contextHandler.destroyFilter(filter);
     }
 
-
 }