diff --git a/HISTORY.rst b/HISTORY.rst
index 78e533234..ad07d07c0 100644
--- a/HISTORY.rst
+++ b/HISTORY.rst
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ XXXX-XX-XX
 
 **Bug fixes**
 
+- 2195_, [Linux]: no longer print exception at import time in case /proc/stat
+  can't be read due to permission error. Redirect it to ``PSUTIL_DEBUG``
+  instead.
 - 2241_, [NetBSD]: can't compile On NetBSD 10.99.3/amd64.  (patch by Thomas
   Klausner)
 - 2245_, [Windows]: fix var unbound error on possibly in `swap_memory()`_
diff --git a/psutil/_pslinux.py b/psutil/_pslinux.py
index cc37c0615..628cd4b35 100644
--- a/psutil/_pslinux.py
+++ b/psutil/_pslinux.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 import socket
 import struct
 import sys
-import traceback
 import warnings
 from collections import defaultdict
 from collections import namedtuple
@@ -284,9 +283,9 @@ def set_scputimes_ntuple(procfs_path):
 
 try:
     set_scputimes_ntuple("/proc")
-except Exception:  # pragma: no cover
+except Exception as err:  # pragma: no cover
     # Don't want to crash at import time.
-    traceback.print_exc()
+    debug("ignoring exception on import: %r" % err)
     scputimes = namedtuple('scputimes', 'user system idle')(0.0, 0.0, 0.0)