add requires_settings attribute

django/core/management/__init__.py

@@ -255,11 +255,15 @@ class ManagementUtility:
             app_name = commands[subcommand]
         except KeyError:
             if os.environ.get("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE"):
-                # If `subcommand` is missing due to misconfigured settings, the
-                # following line will retrigger an ImproperlyConfigured exception
-                # (get_commands() swallows the original one) so the user is
-                # informed about it.
-                settings.INSTALLED_APPS
+                if self.settings_exception:
+                    sys.stderr.write(str(self.settings_exception) + "\n")
+                    sys.exit(1)
+                else:
+                    # If `subcommand` is missing due to misconfigured settings, the
+                    # following line will retrigger an ImproperlyConfigured exception
+                    # (get_commands() swallows the original one) so the user is
+                    # informed about it.
+                    settings.INSTALLED_APPS
             elif not settings.configured:
                 sys.stderr.write("No Django settings specified.\n")
             possible_matches = get_close_matches(subcommand, commands)
@@ -273,6 +277,8 @@ class ManagementUtility:
             klass = app_name
         else:
             klass = load_command_class(app_name, subcommand)
+        if self.settings_exception and klass.requires_settings:
+            sys.stderr.write(str(self.settings_exception) + "\n")
         return klass
 
     def autocomplete(self):
@@ -382,9 +388,6 @@ class ManagementUtility:
             settings.INSTALLED_APPS
         except ImproperlyConfigured as exc:
             self.settings_exception = exc
-            # The following commands can be run without a valid settings file configured
-            if subcommand not in {"startproject", "startapp", "makemessages"}:
-                sys.stderr.write(str(exc) + "\n")
 
         if settings.configured:
             # Start the auto-reloading dev server even if the code is broken.

django/core/management/base.py

@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ class BaseCommand:
     _called_from_command_line = False
     output_transaction = False  # Whether to wrap the output in a "BEGIN; COMMIT;"
     requires_migrations_checks = False
+    requires_settings = True
     requires_system_checks = "__all__"
     # Arguments, common to all commands, which aren't defined by the argument
     # parser.

django/core/management/commands/makemessages.py

@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
     translatable_file_class = TranslatableFile
     build_file_class = BuildFile
 
+    requires_settings = False
     requires_system_checks = []
 
     msgmerge_options = ["-q", "--backup=none", "--previous", "--update"]

django/core/management/commands/startapp.py

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ class Command(TemplateCommand):
         "the current directory or optionally in the given directory."
     )
     missing_args_message = "You must provide an application name."
+    requires_settings = False
 
     def handle(self, **options):
         app_name = options.pop("name")

django/core/management/commands/startproject.py

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ class Command(TemplateCommand):
         "name in the current directory or optionally in the given directory."
     )
     missing_args_message = "You must provide a project name."
+    requires_settings = False
 
     def handle(self, **options):
         project_name = options.pop("name")

tests/admin_scripts/tests.py

@@ -1223,7 +1223,9 @@ class ManageAlternateSettings(AdminScriptTestCase):
         out, err = self.run_manage(args)
         self.assertNoOutput(out)
         self.assertOutput(
-            err, r"No module named '?(test_project\.)?settings'?", regex=True
+            err,
+            r"Settings module '?(test_project\.)?settings'? could not be imported",
+            regex=True,
         )
 
     def test_custom_command_with_settings(self):
@@ -1423,7 +1425,7 @@ class ManageSettingsWithSettingsErrors(AdminScriptTestCase):
         args = ["help"]
         out, err = self.run_manage(args)
         self.assertOutput(out, "only Django core commands are listed")
-        self.assertOutput(err, "Improper configuration")
+        self.assertNoOutput(err)
 
 
 class ManageCheck(AdminScriptTestCase):