diff --git a/keystone/auth/controllers.py b/keystone/auth/controllers.py
index e6f6cb8da6..ca01afd47c 100644
--- a/keystone/auth/controllers.py
+++ b/keystone/auth/controllers.py
@@ -170,6 +170,9 @@ class AuthInfo(object):
                         sys.exc_info()[2])
 
     def _lookup_domain(self, domain_info):
+        if isinstance(domain_info, dict) is False:
+            raise exception.ValidationError(attribute='dict',
+                                            target='domain')
         domain_id = domain_info.get('id')
         domain_name = domain_info.get('name')
         domain_ref = None
@@ -193,6 +196,9 @@ class AuthInfo(object):
         return domain_ref
 
     def _lookup_project(self, project_info):
+        if isinstance(project_info, dict) is False:
+            raise exception.ValidationError(attribute='dict',
+                                            target='project')
         project_id = project_info.get('id')
         project_name = project_info.get('name')
         project_ref = None
diff --git a/keystone/tests/unit/test_v3_auth.py b/keystone/tests/unit/test_v3_auth.py
index b498b6c94a..eb8a10c641 100644
--- a/keystone/tests/unit/test_v3_auth.py
+++ b/keystone/tests/unit/test_v3_auth.py
@@ -120,6 +120,28 @@ class TestAuthInfo(common_auth.AuthTestMixin, testcase.TestCase):
                           auth_info.get_method_data,
                           method_name)
 
+    def test_empty_domain_in_scope(self):
+        auth_data = self.build_authentication_request(
+            user_id='test',
+            password='test',
+            domain_name='')['auth']
+        auth_data['scope']['domain'] = []
+        self.assertRaises(exception.ValidationError,
+                          auth.controllers.AuthInfo.create,
+                          None,
+                          auth_data)
+
+    def test_empty_project_in_scope(self):
+        auth_data = self.build_authentication_request(
+            user_id='test',
+            password='test',
+            project_name='')['auth']
+        auth_data['scope']['project'] = []
+        self.assertRaises(exception.ValidationError,
+                          auth.controllers.AuthInfo.create,
+                          None,
+                          auth_data)
+
 
 class TokenAPITests(object):
     # Why is this not just setUp? Because TokenAPITests is not a test class