diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/authorized_key.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/authorized_key.py
index a0c23ab296..12971d1110 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/authorized_key.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/authorized_key.py
@@ -225,7 +225,6 @@ from operator import itemgetter
 
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_native
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
-from ansible.module_utils.pycompat24 import get_exception
 from ansible.module_utils.urls import fetch_url
 
 
@@ -312,11 +311,10 @@ def keyfile(module, user, write=False, path=None, manage_dir=True):
 
     try:
         user_entry = pwd.getpwnam(user)
-    except KeyError:
-        e = get_exception()
+    except KeyError as e:
         if module.check_mode and path is None:
             module.fail_json(msg="Either user must exist or you must provide full path to key file in check mode")
-        module.fail_json(msg="Failed to lookup user %s: %s" % (user, str(e)))
+        module.fail_json(msg="Failed to lookup user %s: %s" % (user, to_native(e)))
     if path is None:
         homedir = user_entry.pw_dir
         sshdir = os.path.join(homedir, ".ssh")
@@ -475,9 +473,8 @@ def writefile(module, filename, content):
 
     try:
         f.write(content)
-    except IOError:
-        e = get_exception()
-        module.fail_json(msg="Failed to write to file %s: %s" % (tmp_path, str(e)))
+    except IOError as e:
+        module.fail_json(msg="Failed to write to file %s: %s" % (tmp_path, to_native(e)))
     f.close()
     module.atomic_move(tmp_path, filename)