diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java
index 728498f3d..2bc19015d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/Dispatcher.java
@@ -216,7 +216,11 @@ public class Dispatcher {
      */
     @Inject(StrutsConstants.STRUTS_DEVMODE)
     public void setDevMode(String mode) {
-        devMode = "true".equals(mode);
+        devMode = Boolean.parseBoolean(mode);
+    }
+
+    public boolean isDevMode() {
+        return devMode;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -270,6 +274,10 @@ public class Dispatcher {
         this.handleException = Boolean.parseBoolean(handleException);
     }
 
+    public boolean isHandleException() {
+        return handleException;
+    }
+
     @Inject
     public void setDispatcherErrorHandler(DispatcherErrorHandler errorHandler) {
         this.errorHandler = errorHandler;
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/PrepareOperations.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/PrepareOperations.java
index efa4ea74b..8bfb9543f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/PrepareOperations.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/PrepareOperations.java
@@ -188,7 +188,9 @@ public class PrepareOperations {
                     request.setAttribute(STRUTS_ACTION_MAPPING_KEY, mapping);
                 }
             } catch (Exception ex) {
-                dispatcher.sendError(request, response, HttpServletResponse.SC_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, ex);
+                if (dispatcher.isHandleException() || dispatcher.isDevMode()) {
+                    dispatcher.sendError(request, response, HttpServletResponse.SC_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, ex);
+                }
             }
         }