diff --git a/deckhand/control/buckets.py b/deckhand/control/buckets.py
index c5c332c3..d105e29a 100644
--- a/deckhand/control/buckets.py
+++ b/deckhand/control/buckets.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import yaml
 
 import falcon
 from oslo_log import log as logging
+import six
 
 from deckhand.control import base as api_base
 from deckhand.control.views import document as document_view
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ class BucketsResource(api_base.BaseResource):
             error_msg = ("Could not parse the document into YAML data. "
                          "Details: %s." % e)
             LOG.error(error_msg)
-            raise falcon.HTTPBadRequest(description=e.format_message())
+            raise falcon.HTTPBadRequest(description=six.text_type(e))
 
         # All concrete documents in the payload must successfully pass their
         # JSON schema validations. Otherwise raise an error.
diff --git a/deckhand/tests/unit/control/base.py b/deckhand/tests/unit/control/base.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ff98e58f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deckhand/tests/unit/control/base.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Copyright 2017 AT&T Intellectual Property.  All other rights reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+from falcon import testing as falcon_testing
+
+from deckhand.control import api
+from deckhand.tests.unit import base as test_base
+
+
+class BaseControllerTest(test_base.DeckhandWithDBTestCase,
+                         falcon_testing.TestCase):
+    """Base class for unit testing falcon controllers."""
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(BaseControllerTest, self).setUp()
+        self.app = falcon_testing.TestClient(api.start_api())
diff --git a/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_api.py b/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_api_initialization.py
similarity index 97%
rename from deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_api.py
rename to deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_api_initialization.py
index 8b19e056..96895a89 100644
--- a/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_api.py
+++ b/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_api_initialization.py
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ class TestApi(test_base.DeckhandTestCase):
         for resource in (buckets, revision_diffing, revision_documents,
                          revision_tags, revisions, rollback, versions):
             resource_name = resource.__name__.split('.')[-1]
-            resource_obj = mock.patch.object(
+            resource_obj = self.patchobject(
                 resource, '%sResource' % resource_name.title().replace(
-                    '_', ''), autospec=True).start()
+                    '_', ''), autospec=True)
             setattr(self, '%s_resource' % resource_name, resource_obj)
 
     @mock.patch.object(api, 'db_api', autospec=True)
diff --git a/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_base.py b/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_base_resource.py
similarity index 74%
rename from deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_base.py
rename to deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_base_resource.py
index 4b8a12f6..8d813018 100644
--- a/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_base.py
+++ b/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_base_resource.py
@@ -15,21 +15,20 @@
 import mock
 
 from deckhand.control import base as api_base
-from deckhand.tests.unit import base as test_base
+from deckhand.tests.unit.control import base as test_base
 
 
-class TestBaseResource(test_base.DeckhandTestCase):
+class TestBaseResource(test_base.BaseControllerTest):
 
     def setUp(self):
         super(TestBaseResource, self).setUp()
         self.base_resource = api_base.BaseResource()
 
-    def test_on_options(self):
-        # Override `dir` so that ``dir(self)`` returns `methods`.
-        expected_methods = ['on_get', 'on_heat', 'on_post', 'on_put',
-                            'on_delete', 'on_patch']
-        api_base.BaseResource.__dir__ = lambda x: expected_methods
-
+    @mock.patch.object(api_base, 'dir')  # noqa
+    def test_on_options(self, mock_dir):
+        expected_methods = ['on_get', 'on_post', 'on_put', 'on_delete',
+                            'on_patch']
+        mock_dir.return_value = expected_methods
         mock_resp = mock.Mock(headers={})
         self.base_resource.on_options(None, mock_resp)
 
diff --git a/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_buckets_controller.py b/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_buckets_controller.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2ee9a529
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deckhand/tests/unit/control/test_buckets_controller.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Copyright 2017 AT&T Intellectual Property.  All other rights reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+from deckhand.tests.unit.control import base as test_base
+
+
+class TestBucketsController(test_base.BaseControllerTest):
+    """Test suite for validating positive scenarios bucket controller."""
+
+
+class TestBucketsControllerNegative(test_base.BaseControllerTest):
+    """Test suite for validating negative scenarios bucket controller."""
+
+    def test_put_bucket_with_invalid_document_payload(self):
+        no_colon_spaces = """
+name:foo
+schema:
+    layeringDefinition:
+        layer:site
+"""
+        invalid_payloads = ['garbage', no_colon_spaces]
+        error_re = ['.*The provided YAML failed schema validation.*',
+                    '.*mapping values are not allowed here.*']
+
+        for idx, payload in enumerate(invalid_payloads):
+            resp = self.app.simulate_put('/api/v1.0/bucket/mop/documents',
+                                         body=payload)
+            self.assertEqual(400, resp.status_code)
+            self.assertRegexpMatches(resp.text, error_re[idx])
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-attribute-error-in-bucket-controller-b5c9e410823abd19.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-attribute-error-in-bucket-controller-b5c9e410823abd19.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..73e8263e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-attribute-error-in-bucket-controller-b5c9e410823abd19.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Deckhand will no longer throw an ``AttributeError`` after a
+    ``yaml.scanner.ScannerError`` is raised when attempting to parse a
+    malformed YAML document. Deckhand should now correctly raise a
+    "400 Bad Request" instead.