diff --git a/nose/plugins/debug.py b/nose/plugins/debug.py
index c7fc462..7ad482b 100644
--- a/nose/plugins/debug.py
+++ b/nose/plugins/debug.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 import pdb
 from nose.plugins.base import Plugin
+import sys
+import traceback
 
 class Pdb(Plugin):
     """
@@ -52,10 +54,14 @@ def addFailure(self, test, err):
         self.debug(err)
 
     def debug(self, err):
-        import sys # FIXME why is this import here?
         ec, ev, tb = err
         stdout = sys.stdout
         sys.stdout = sys.__stdout__
+        # print out the exception and traceback (pdb doesn't do this
+        # automatically)
+        print >> sys.stderr
+        traceback.print_exception(ec,ev,tb)
+        print >> sys.stderr
         try:
             pdb.post_mortem(tb)
         finally: