diff --git a/heat/engine/clients/os/barbican.py b/heat/engine/clients/os/barbican.py
index 76400f8c8c..9e4b66e3b8 100644
--- a/heat/engine/clients/os/barbican.py
+++ b/heat/engine/clients/os/barbican.py
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@
 from barbicanclient import exceptions
 from barbicanclient.v1 import client as barbican_client
 from barbicanclient.v1 import containers
+from oslo_log import log as logging
 
 from heat.common import exception
 from heat.engine.clients import client_plugin
 from heat.engine import constraints
 
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 CLIENT_NAME = 'barbican'
 
@@ -63,8 +65,13 @@ class BarbicanClientPlugin(client_plugin.ClientPlugin):
                 raise exception.EntityNotFound(
                     entity="Secret",
                     name=secret_ref)
+            LOG.info('Failed to get Barbican secret from reference %s' % (
+                secret_ref))
             raise
 
+    def get_secret_payload_by_ref(self, secret_ref):
+        return self.get_secret_by_ref(secret_ref).payload
+
     def get_container_by_ref(self, container_ref):
         try:
             # TODO(therve): replace with to_dict()
diff --git a/heat/tests/clients/test_barbican_client.py b/heat/tests/clients/test_barbican_client.py
index 6a08149842..977886710a 100644
--- a/heat/tests/clients/test_barbican_client.py
+++ b/heat/tests/clients/test_barbican_client.py
@@ -44,6 +44,24 @@ class BarbicanClientPluginTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(secret,
                          self.barbican_plugin.get_secret_by_ref("secret"))
 
+    def test_get_secret_payload_by_ref(self):
+        payload_content = 'payload content'
+        secret = collections.namedtuple(
+            'Secret', ['name', 'payload'])('foo', payload_content)
+        self.barbican_client.secrets.get.return_value = secret
+        expect = payload_content
+        self.assertEqual(expect,
+                         self.barbican_plugin.get_secret_payload_by_ref(
+                             "secret"))
+
+    def test_get_secret_payload_by_ref_not_found(self):
+        exc = exceptions.HTTPClientError(message="Not Found", status_code=404)
+        self.barbican_client.secrets.get.side_effect = exc
+        self.assertRaises(
+            exception.EntityNotFound,
+            self.barbican_plugin.get_secret_payload_by_ref,
+            "secret")
+
     def test_get_secret_by_ref_not_found(self):
         exc = exceptions.HTTPClientError(message="Not Found", status_code=404)
         self.barbican_client.secrets.get.side_effect = exc