diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/admin_actions.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/admin_actions.py
index 632e4f226d..00de15122f 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/admin_actions.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/admin_actions.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ from nova.compute import vm_states
 from nova import exception
 from nova.openstack.common.gettextutils import _
 from nova.openstack.common import log as logging
+from nova.openstack.common import strutils
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -312,6 +313,14 @@ class AdminActionsController(wsgi.Controller):
                     "be specified for live migration.")
             raise exc.HTTPBadRequest(explanation=msg)
 
+        try:
+            block_migration = strutils.bool_from_string(block_migration,
+                                                        strict=True)
+            disk_over_commit = strutils.bool_from_string(disk_over_commit,
+                                                         strict=True)
+        except ValueError as err:
+            raise exc.HTTPBadRequest(explanation=str(err))
+
         try:
             instance = self.compute_api.get(context, id, want_objects=True)
             self.compute_api.live_migrate(context, instance, block_migration,
diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/admin_actions.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/admin_actions.py
index 63777f95bc..14a1f2cb8b 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/admin_actions.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/admin_actions.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from nova.compute import vm_states
 from nova import exception
 from nova.openstack.common.gettextutils import _
 from nova.openstack.common import log as logging
+from nova.openstack.common import strutils
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 ALIAS = "os-admin-actions"
@@ -290,6 +291,14 @@ class AdminActionsController(wsgi.Controller):
                     "be specified for live migration.")
             raise exc.HTTPBadRequest(explanation=msg)
 
+        try:
+            block_migration = strutils.bool_from_string(block_migration,
+                                                        strict=True)
+            disk_over_commit = strutils.bool_from_string(disk_over_commit,
+                                                         strict=True)
+        except ValueError as err:
+            raise exc.HTTPBadRequest(explanation=str(err))
+
         try:
             instance = self.compute_api.get(context, id, want_objects=True)
             self.compute_api.live_migrate(context, instance, block_migration,
diff --git a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/contrib/test_admin_actions.py b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/contrib/test_admin_actions.py
index 84c3006e91..495f6e7353 100644
--- a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/contrib/test_admin_actions.py
+++ b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/contrib/test_admin_actions.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ class AdminActionsTest(CommonMixin, test.NoDBTestCase):
                                  {'migrate': None})
         self.assertEqual(expected_result, res.status_int)
 
-    def test_migrate_live_enabled(self):
+    def _test_migrate_live_succeeded(self, param):
         self.mox.StubOutWithMock(self.compute_api, 'live_migrate')
         instance = self._stub_instance_get()
         self.compute_api.live_migrate(self.context, instance, False,
@@ -233,12 +233,21 @@ class AdminActionsTest(CommonMixin, test.NoDBTestCase):
         self.mox.ReplayAll()
 
         res = self._make_request('/servers/%s/action' % instance['uuid'],
-                                 {'os-migrateLive':
-                                  {'host': 'hostname',
-                                   'block_migration': False,
-                                   'disk_over_commit': False}})
+                                 {'os-migrateLive': param})
         self.assertEqual(202, res.status_int)
 
+    def test_migrate_live_enabled(self):
+        param = {'host': 'hostname',
+                 'block_migration': False,
+                 'disk_over_commit': False}
+        self._test_migrate_live_succeeded(param)
+
+    def test_migrate_live_enabled_with_string_param(self):
+        param = {'host': 'hostname',
+                 'block_migration': "False",
+                 'disk_over_commit': "False"}
+        self._test_migrate_live_succeeded(param)
+
     def test_migrate_live_missing_dict_param(self):
         body = {'os-migrateLive': {'dummy': 'hostname',
                                    'block_migration': False,
@@ -246,6 +255,20 @@ class AdminActionsTest(CommonMixin, test.NoDBTestCase):
         res = self._make_request('/servers/FAKE/action', body)
         self.assertEqual(400, res.status_int)
 
+    def test_migrate_live_with_invalid_block_migration(self):
+        body = {'os-migrateLive': {'host': 'hostname',
+                                   'block_migration': "foo",
+                                   'disk_over_commit': False}}
+        res = self._make_request('/servers/FAKE/action', body)
+        self.assertEqual(400, res.status_int)
+
+    def test_migrate_live_with_invalid_disk_over_commit(self):
+        body = {'os-migrateLive': {'host': 'hostname',
+                                   'block_migration': False,
+                                   'disk_over_commit': "foo"}}
+        res = self._make_request('/servers/FAKE/action', body)
+        self.assertEqual(400, res.status_int)
+
     def _test_migrate_live_failed_with_exception(self, fake_exc,
                                                  uuid=None):
         self.mox.StubOutWithMock(self.compute_api, 'live_migrate')
diff --git a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_admin_actions.py b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_admin_actions.py
index d604aace82..bf9f29e7f1 100644
--- a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_admin_actions.py
+++ b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_admin_actions.py
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ class AdminActionsTest(CommonMixin, test.NoDBTestCase):
                                               allowed=0, resource='')
         self._test_migrate_exception(exc_info, 413)
 
-    def test_migrate_live_enabled(self):
+    def _test_migrate_live_succeeded(self, param):
         self.mox.StubOutWithMock(self.compute_api, 'live_migrate')
         instance = self._stub_instance_get()
         self.compute_api.live_migrate(self.context, instance, False,
@@ -243,12 +243,21 @@ class AdminActionsTest(CommonMixin, test.NoDBTestCase):
         self.mox.ReplayAll()
 
         res = self._make_request('/servers/%s/action' % instance.uuid,
-                                 {'migrate_live':
-                                  {'host': 'hostname',
-                                   'block_migration': False,
-                                   'disk_over_commit': False}})
+                                 {'migrate_live': param})
         self.assertEqual(202, res.status_int)
 
+    def test_migrate_live_enabled(self):
+        param = {'host': 'hostname',
+                 'block_migration': False,
+                 'disk_over_commit': False}
+        self._test_migrate_live_succeeded(param)
+
+    def test_migrate_live_enabled_with_string_param(self):
+        param = {'host': 'hostname',
+                 'block_migration': "False",
+                 'disk_over_commit': "False"}
+        self._test_migrate_live_succeeded(param)
+
     def test_migrate_live_missing_dict_param(self):
         res = self._make_request('/servers/FAKE/action',
                                  {'migrate_live': {'dummy': 'hostname',
@@ -256,6 +265,20 @@ class AdminActionsTest(CommonMixin, test.NoDBTestCase):
                                                    'disk_over_commit': False}})
         self.assertEqual(400, res.status_int)
 
+    def test_migrate_live_with_invalid_block_migration(self):
+        res = self._make_request('/servers/FAKE/action',
+                                 {'migrate_live': {'host': 'hostname',
+                                                   'block_migration': "foo",
+                                                   'disk_over_commit': False}})
+        self.assertEqual(400, res.status_int)
+
+    def test_migrate_live_with_invalid_disk_over_commit(self):
+        res = self._make_request('/servers/FAKE/action',
+                                 {'migrate_live': {'host': 'hostname',
+                                                   'block_migration': False,
+                                                   'disk_over_commit': "foo"}})
+        self.assertEqual(400, res.status_int)
+
     def _test_migrate_live_failed_with_exception(self, fake_exc,
                                                  uuid=None):
         self.mox.StubOutWithMock(self.compute_api, 'live_migrate')