diff --git a/ctdb/lib/tdb/pytdb.c b/ctdb/lib/tdb/pytdb.c
index 58db1a8a6db..d904e47e830 100644
--- a/ctdb/lib/tdb/pytdb.c
+++ b/ctdb/lib/tdb/pytdb.c
@@ -409,7 +409,9 @@ static PyGetSetDef tdb_object_getsetters[] = {
 
 static PyObject *tdb_object_repr(PyTdbObject *self)
 {
-	return PyString_FromFormat("Tdb('%s')", tdb_name(self->ctx));
+	return PyString_FromFormat("Tdb('%s')",
+		(tdb_get_flags(self->ctx) & TDB_INTERNAL) ? "<internal>"
+							  : tdb_name(self->ctx));
 }
 
 static void tdb_object_dealloc(PyTdbObject *self)
diff --git a/ctdb/lib/tdb/python/tests/simple.py b/ctdb/lib/tdb/python/tests/simple.py
index 0b8b8d92243..2b72fff75d4 100644
--- a/ctdb/lib/tdb/python/tests/simple.py
+++ b/ctdb/lib/tdb/python/tests/simple.py
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ class CloseTdbTests(TestCase):
         self.tdb.close()
 
 
+class InternalTdbTests(TestCase):
+    def test_repr(self):
+        self.tdb = tdb.Tdb("whatever", tdb_flags=tdb.INTERNAL)
+
+        # repr used to crash on internal db
+        self.assertEquals(repr(self.tdb), "Tdb('<internal>')")
+
+
 class SimpleTdbTests(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         super(SimpleTdbTests, self).setUp()