diff --git a/cinder/tests/test_rbd.py b/cinder/tests/test_rbd.py
index 544696008b6..7b14e18bb5f 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/test_rbd.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/test_rbd.py
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ class RBDTestCase(test.TestCase):
 
         self.cfg = mock.Mock(spec=conf.Configuration)
         self.cfg.volume_tmp_dir = None
+        self.cfg.image_conversion_dir = None
         self.cfg.rbd_pool = 'rbd'
         self.cfg.rbd_ceph_conf = None
         self.cfg.rbd_secret_uuid = None
@@ -634,11 +635,13 @@ class RBDTestCase(test.TestCase):
     @common_mocks
     def test_copy_image_no_volume_tmp(self):
         self.cfg.volume_tmp_dir = None
+        self.cfg.image_conversion_dir = None
         self._copy_image()
 
     @common_mocks
     def test_copy_image_volume_tmp(self):
-        self.cfg.volume_tmp_dir = '/var/run/cinder/tmp'
+        self.cfg.volume_tmp_dir = None
+        self.cfg.image_conversion_dir = '/var/run/cinder/tmp'
         self._copy_image()
 
     @common_mocks
diff --git a/cinder/volume/drivers/rbd.py b/cinder/volume/drivers/rbd.py
index ba7ae4ea187..bf191614902 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/drivers/rbd.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/drivers/rbd.py
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ rbd_opts = [
                default=None,
                help='Directory where temporary image files are stored '
                     'when the volume driver does not write them directly '
-                    'to the volume.'),
+                    'to the volume.  Warning: this option is now deprecated, '
+                    'please use image_conversion_dir instead.'),
     cfg.IntOpt('rbd_max_clone_depth',
                default=5,
                help='Maximum number of nested volume clones that are '
@@ -814,14 +815,24 @@ class RBDDriver(driver.VolumeDriver):
         self._resize(volume)
         return {'provider_location': None}, True
 
-    def _ensure_tmp_exists(self):
-        tmp_dir = self.configuration.volume_tmp_dir
-        if tmp_dir and not os.path.exists(tmp_dir):
-            os.makedirs(tmp_dir)
+    def _image_conversion_dir(self):
+        tmpdir = (self.configuration.volume_tmp_dir or
+                  CONF.image_conversion_dir or
+                  tempfile.gettempdir())
+
+        if (tmpdir == self.configuration.volume_tmp_dir):
+            LOG.warn(_LW('volume_tmp_dir is now deprecated, please use '
+                         'image_conversion_dir'))
+
+        # ensure temporary directory exists
+        if not os.path.exists(tmpdir):
+            os.makedirs(tmpdir)
+
+        return tmpdir
 
     def copy_image_to_volume(self, context, volume, image_service, image_id):
-        self._ensure_tmp_exists()
-        tmp_dir = self.configuration.volume_tmp_dir
+
+        tmp_dir = self._image_conversion_dir()
 
         with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(dir=tmp_dir) as tmp:
             image_utils.fetch_to_raw(context, image_service, image_id,
@@ -846,9 +857,7 @@ class RBDDriver(driver.VolumeDriver):
         self._resize(volume)
 
     def copy_volume_to_image(self, context, volume, image_service, image_meta):
-        self._ensure_tmp_exists()
-
-        tmp_dir = self.configuration.volume_tmp_dir or '/tmp'
+        tmp_dir = self._image_conversion_dir()
         tmp_file = os.path.join(tmp_dir,
                                 volume['name'] + '-' + image_meta['id'])
         with fileutils.remove_path_on_error(tmp_file):