diff --git a/keystoneauth1/identity/v3/base.py b/keystoneauth1/identity/v3/base.py
index 51b78d5c..1f8f8de0 100644
--- a/keystoneauth1/identity/v3/base.py
+++ b/keystoneauth1/identity/v3/base.py
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ class Auth(BaseAuth):
         elif self.trust_id:
             body['auth']['scope'] = {'OS-TRUST:trust': {'id': self.trust_id}}
         elif self.unscoped:
-            body['auth']['scope'] = {'unscoped': {}}
+            body['auth']['scope'] = 'unscoped'
 
         # NOTE(jamielennox): we add nocatalog here rather than in token_url
         # directly as some federation plugins require the base token_url
diff --git a/keystoneauth1/tests/unit/identity/test_identity_v3.py b/keystoneauth1/tests/unit/identity/test_identity_v3.py
index 27018213..5c88105b 100644
--- a/keystoneauth1/tests/unit/identity/test_identity_v3.py
+++ b/keystoneauth1/tests/unit/identity/test_identity_v3.py
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ class V3IdentityPlugin(utils.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(token.user_id, ident['password']['user']['id'])
         self.assertEqual(password, ident['password']['user']['password'])
 
-        self.assertEqual({}, body['auth']['scope']['unscoped'])
+        self.assertEqual('unscoped', body['auth']['scope'])
 
     def test_unscoped_with_scope_data(self):
         a = v3.Password(self.TEST_URL,