diff --git a/heat/engine/resources/openstack/nova/server.py b/heat/engine/resources/openstack/nova/server.py
index 0710e8f530..58ccc9ff7d 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resources/openstack/nova/server.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resources/openstack/nova/server.py
@@ -747,15 +747,11 @@ class Server(stack_user.StackUser):
                 resource_status=server.status,
                 result=_('Server is not active'))
 
-    def _check_server_status(self):
-        server = self.nova().servers.get(self.resource_id)
+    def handle_check(self):
+        server = self.client().servers.get(self.resource_id)
         status = self.client_plugin().get_status(server)
         checks = [{'attr': 'status', 'expected': 'ACTIVE', 'current': status}]
         self._verify_check_conditions(checks)
-        return server
-
-    def handle_check(self):
-        self._check_server_status()
 
     @classmethod
     def _build_block_device_mapping(cls, bdm):
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_server.py b/heat/tests/test_server.py
index 71f621b275..e3f2d6056c 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_server.py
@@ -126,41 +126,33 @@ class ServersTest(common.HeatTestCase):
                              stack_user_project_id='8888')
         return (templ, stack)
 
-    def _prepare_server_check(self):
+    def _prepare_server_check(self, status='ACTIVE'):
         templ, self.stack = self._setup_test_stack('server_check')
         server = self.fc.servers.list()[1]
+        server.status = status
         res = self.stack['WebServer']
-        res.nova = mock.Mock()
-        res.nova().servers.get = mock.Mock(return_value=server)
+        res.client = mock.Mock()
+        res.client().servers.get.return_value = server
         return res
 
     def test_check(self):
         res = self._prepare_server_check()
-        res._check_server_status = mock.Mock()
         scheduler.TaskRunner(res.check)()
         self.assertEqual((res.CHECK, res.COMPLETE), res.state)
 
     def test_check_fail(self):
         res = self._prepare_server_check()
-        res._check_server_status = mock.Mock(side_effect=Exception('boom'))
+        res.client().servers.get.side_effect = Exception('boom')
 
         exc = self.assertRaises(exception.ResourceFailure,
                                 scheduler.TaskRunner(res.check))
         self.assertIn('boom', six.text_type(exc))
         self.assertEqual((res.CHECK, res.FAILED), res.state)
 
-    def test_check_server_status(self):
-        res = self._prepare_server_check()
-        server = res._check_server_status()
-        self.assertEqual(self.fc.servers.list()[1], server)
-
-    def test_check_server_status_not_active(self):
-        res = self._prepare_server_check()
-        res._check_active = mock.Mock(return_value=False)
-        res.nova().servers.get().status = 'FOO'
-
-        exc = self.assertRaises(exception.Error,
-                                scheduler.TaskRunner(res._check_server_status))
+    def test_check_not_active(self):
+        res = self._prepare_server_check(status='FOO')
+        exc = self.assertRaises(exception.ResourceFailure,
+                                scheduler.TaskRunner(res.check))
         self.assertIn('FOO', six.text_type(exc))
 
     def _get_test_template(self, stack_name, server_name=None,