diff --git a/cinder/ssh_utils.py b/cinder/ssh_utils.py
index 22f29a52d04..c3a7160ece4 100644
--- a/cinder/ssh_utils.py
+++ b/cinder/ssh_utils.py
@@ -171,8 +171,7 @@ class SSHPool(pools.Pool):
     def remove(self, ssh):
         """Close an ssh client and remove it from free_items."""
         ssh.close()
-        ssh = None
         if ssh in self.free_items:
-            self.free_items.pop(ssh)
-        if self.current_size > 0:
-            self.current_size -= 1
+            self.free_items.remove(ssh)
+            if self.current_size > 0:
+                self.current_size -= 1
diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/test_ssh_utils.py b/cinder/tests/unit/test_ssh_utils.py
index 552b82d38c9..0a3cb38c6b6 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/test_ssh_utils.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/test_ssh_utils.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-
 import mock
 import paramiko
 import uuid
@@ -79,6 +78,46 @@ class FakeSSHClient(object):
 
 class SSHPoolTestCase(test.TestCase):
     """Unit test for SSH Connection Pool."""
+    @mock.patch('cinder.ssh_utils.CONF')
+    @mock.patch('six.moves.builtins.open')
+    @mock.patch('paramiko.SSHClient')
+    @mock.patch('os.path.isfile', return_value=True)
+    def test_sshpool_remove(self, mock_isfile, mock_sshclient, mock_open,
+                            mock_conf):
+        ssh_to_remove = mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_sshclient.side_effect = [mock.MagicMock(),
+                                      ssh_to_remove, mock.MagicMock()]
+        mock_conf.ssh_hosts_key_file.return_value = 'dummy'
+        sshpool = ssh_utils.SSHPool("127.0.0.1", 22, 10,
+                                    "test",
+                                    password="test",
+                                    min_size=3,
+                                    max_size=3)
+        self.assertIn(ssh_to_remove, list(sshpool.free_items))
+        sshpool.remove(ssh_to_remove)
+        self.assertNotIn(ssh_to_remove, list(sshpool.free_items))
+
+    @mock.patch('cinder.ssh_utils.CONF')
+    @mock.patch('six.moves.builtins.open')
+    @mock.patch('paramiko.SSHClient')
+    @mock.patch('os.path.isfile', return_value=True)
+    def test_sshpool_remove_object_not_in_pool(self, mock_isfile,
+                                               mock_sshclient, mock_open,
+                                               mock_conf):
+        # create an SSH Client that is not a part of sshpool.
+        ssh_to_remove = mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_sshclient.side_effect = [mock.MagicMock(), mock.MagicMock()]
+        mock_conf.ssh_hosts_key_file.return_value = 'dummy'
+        sshpool = ssh_utils.SSHPool("127.0.0.1", 22, 10,
+                                    "test",
+                                    password="test",
+                                    min_size=2,
+                                    max_size=2)
+        listBefore = list(sshpool.free_items)
+        self.assertNotIn(ssh_to_remove, listBefore)
+        sshpool.remove(ssh_to_remove)
+        self.assertEqual(listBefore, list(sshpool.free_items))
+
     @mock.patch('cinder.ssh_utils.CONF')
     @mock.patch('six.moves.builtins.open')
     @mock.patch('paramiko.SSHClient')