diff --git a/heat/engine/resources/loadbalancer.py b/heat/engine/resources/loadbalancer.py
index be0658bb02..f265265ffe 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resources/loadbalancer.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resources/loadbalancer.py
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ class LoadBalancer(stack_resource.StackResource):
         servers = []
         n = 1
         nova_cp = self.client_plugin('nova')
-        for i in instances:
+        for i in instances or []:
             ip = nova_cp.server_to_ipaddress(i) or '0.0.0.0'
             LOG.debug('haproxy server:%s' % ip)
             servers.append('%sserver server%d %s:%s %s' % (spaces, n,
@@ -481,7 +481,17 @@ class LoadBalancer(stack_resource.StackResource):
         save it to the db.
         rely on the cfn-hup to reconfigure HAProxy
         '''
-        if self.INSTANCES in prop_diff:
+        new_props = json_snippet.properties(self.properties_schema,
+                                            self.context)
+
+        # Valid use cases are:
+        # - Membership controlled by members property in template
+        # - Empty members property in template; membership controlled by
+        #   "updates" triggered from autoscaling group.
+        # Mixing the two will lead to undefined behaviour.
+        if (self.INSTANCES in prop_diff and
+                (self.properties[self.INSTANCES] is not None or
+                 new_props[self.INSTANCES] is not None)):
             templ = self.get_parsed_template()
             cfg = self._haproxy_config(templ, prop_diff[self.INSTANCES])
 
diff --git a/heat/engine/resources/neutron/loadbalancer.py b/heat/engine/resources/neutron/loadbalancer.py
index e9bdbb0cc2..3cb913f477 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resources/neutron/loadbalancer.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resources/neutron/loadbalancer.py
@@ -640,7 +640,6 @@ class LoadBalancer(resource.Resource):
         MEMBERS: properties.Schema(
             properties.Schema.LIST,
             _('The list of Nova server IDs load balanced.'),
-            default=[],
             update_allowed=True
         ),
     }
@@ -652,7 +651,7 @@ class LoadBalancer(resource.Resource):
         client = self.neutron()
         protocol_port = self.properties[self.PROTOCOL_PORT]
 
-        for member in self.properties.get(self.MEMBERS):
+        for member in self.properties[self.MEMBERS] or []:
             address = self.client_plugin('nova').server_to_ipaddress(member)
             lb_member = client.create_member({
                 'member': {
@@ -662,8 +661,18 @@ class LoadBalancer(resource.Resource):
             self.data_set(member, lb_member['id'])
 
     def handle_update(self, json_snippet, tmpl_diff, prop_diff):
-        if self.MEMBERS in prop_diff:
-            members = set(prop_diff[self.MEMBERS])
+        new_props = json_snippet.properties(self.properties_schema,
+                                            self.context)
+
+        # Valid use cases are:
+        # - Membership controlled by members property in template
+        # - Empty members property in template; membership controlled by
+        #   "updates" triggered from autoscaling group.
+        # Mixing the two will lead to undefined behaviour.
+        if (self.MEMBERS in prop_diff and
+                (self.properties[self.MEMBERS] is not None or
+                 new_props[self.MEMBERS] is not None)):
+            members = set(new_props[self.MEMBERS] or [])
             rd_members = self.data()
             old_members = set(rd_members.keys())
             client = self.neutron()
@@ -688,7 +697,7 @@ class LoadBalancer(resource.Resource):
 
     def handle_delete(self):
         client = self.neutron()
-        for member in self.properties.get(self.MEMBERS):
+        for member in self.properties[self.MEMBERS] or []:
             member_id = self.data().get(member)
             try:
                 client.delete_member(member_id)
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_neutron_autoscaling.py b/heat/tests/test_neutron_autoscaling.py
index 6105287ed2..4a266c4d63 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_neutron_autoscaling.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_neutron_autoscaling.py
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ class AutoScalingTest(HeatTestCase):
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(neutronclient.Client, 'show_pool')
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(neutronclient.Client, 'show_vip')
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(neutronclient.Client, 'create_member')
-        self.m.StubOutWithMock(neutronclient.Client, 'delete_member')
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(neutronclient.Client, 'list_members')
 
         self.m.StubOutWithMock(nova.NovaClientPlugin, 'server_to_ipaddress')
@@ -310,8 +309,6 @@ class AutoScalingTest(HeatTestCase):
         nova.NovaClientPlugin.server_to_ipaddress(
             mox.IgnoreArg()).AndReturn('1.2.3.5')
 
-        neutronclient.Client.delete_member(mox.IgnoreArg()).AndReturn(None)
-
         neutronclient.Client.create_member(memberb_block).\
             AndReturn(memberb_ret_block)
 
@@ -321,12 +318,6 @@ class AutoScalingTest(HeatTestCase):
         neutronclient.Client.create_member(memberc_block).\
             AndReturn(memberc_ret_block)
 
-        nova.NovaClientPlugin.server_to_ipaddress(
-            mox.IgnoreArg()).AndReturn('1.2.3.4')
-
-        neutronclient.Client.create_member(membera_block).\
-            AndReturn(membera_ret_block)
-
         self.m.ReplayAll()
 
         # Start of stack create