diff --git a/heat/engine/resources/autoscaling.py b/heat/engine/resources/autoscaling.py
index 3ecc7aff9..09b8eeae5 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resources/autoscaling.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resources/autoscaling.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
+import copy
 import functools
 import json
 import math
@@ -393,18 +394,16 @@ class InstanceGroup(stack_resource.StackResource):
                        if inst.FnGetRefId() not in exclude]
             for lb in self.properties[self.LOAD_BALANCER_NAMES]:
                 lb_resource = self.stack[lb]
+                lb_defn = copy.deepcopy(lb_resource.t)
                 if 'Instances' in lb_resource.properties_schema:
-                    lb_resource.json_snippet['Properties']['Instances'] = (
-                        id_list)
+                    lb_defn['Properties']['Instances'] = id_list
                 elif 'members' in lb_resource.properties_schema:
-                    lb_resource.json_snippet['Properties']['members'] = (
-                        id_list)
+                    lb_defn['Properties']['members'] = id_list
                 else:
                     raise exception.Error(
                         _("Unsupported resource '%s' in LoadBalancerNames") %
                         (lb,))
-                resolved_snippet = self.stack.resolve_static_data(
-                    lb_resource.json_snippet)
+                resolved_snippet = self.stack.resolve_static_data(lb_defn)
                 scheduler.TaskRunner(lb_resource.update, resolved_snippet)()
 
     def FnGetRefId(self):
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_loadbalancer.py b/heat/tests/test_loadbalancer.py
index 4ba181ae4..65d64a7ae 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_loadbalancer.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_loadbalancer.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
+import copy
 import re
 
 import mock
@@ -190,7 +191,7 @@ class LoadBalancerTest(HeatTestCase):
                                      s)
             id_list.append(inst.FnGetRefId())
 
-        rsrc.handle_update(rsrc.json_snippet, {}, {'Instances': id_list})
+        rsrc.handle_update(copy.deepcopy(rsrc.t), {}, {'Instances': id_list})
 
         self.assertEqual('4.5.6.7', rsrc.FnGetAtt('DNSName'))
         self.assertEqual('', rsrc.FnGetAtt('SourceSecurityGroup.GroupName'))