diff --git a/neutron/agent/l3/dvr_edge_ha_router.py b/neutron/agent/l3/dvr_edge_ha_router.py
index 0d349826812..f0219a71730 100644
--- a/neutron/agent/l3/dvr_edge_ha_router.py
+++ b/neutron/agent/l3/dvr_edge_ha_router.py
@@ -112,10 +112,6 @@ class DvrEdgeHaRouter(dvr_edge_router.DvrEdgeRouter,
         ha_router.HaRouter.external_gateway_updated(self, ex_gw_port,
                                                     interface_name)
 
-    def initialize(self, process_monitor):
-        self._create_snat_namespace()
-        super(DvrEdgeHaRouter, self).initialize(process_monitor)
-
     def _external_gateway_added(self, ex_gw_port, interface_name,
                                 ns_name, preserve_ips):
         self._plug_external_gateway(ex_gw_port, interface_name, ns_name)
diff --git a/neutron/agent/l3/dvr_edge_router.py b/neutron/agent/l3/dvr_edge_router.py
index 49742b4a46a..b95fe9a0906 100644
--- a/neutron/agent/l3/dvr_edge_router.py
+++ b/neutron/agent/l3/dvr_edge_router.py
@@ -158,15 +158,19 @@ class DvrEdgeRouter(dvr_local_router.DvrLocalRouter):
             lib_constants.SNAT_INT_DEV_PREFIX,
             mtu=port.get('mtu'))
 
+    def initialize(self, process_monitor):
+        self._create_snat_namespace()
+        super(DvrEdgeRouter, self).initialize(process_monitor)
+
     def _create_dvr_gateway(self, ex_gw_port, gw_interface_name):
-        snat_ns = self._create_snat_namespace()
         # connect snat_ports to br_int from SNAT namespace
         for port in self.get_snat_interfaces():
             self._plug_snat_port(port)
         self._external_gateway_added(ex_gw_port, gw_interface_name,
-                                     snat_ns.name, preserve_ips=[])
+                                     self.snat_namespace.name,
+                                     preserve_ips=[])
         self.snat_iptables_manager = iptables_manager.IptablesManager(
-            namespace=snat_ns.name,
+            namespace=self.snat_namespace.name,
             use_ipv6=self.use_ipv6)
 
         self._initialize_address_scope_iptables(self.snat_iptables_manager)
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_dvr_local_router.py b/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_dvr_local_router.py
index a682571fdef..d30865ec92c 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_dvr_local_router.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_dvr_local_router.py
@@ -889,3 +889,20 @@ class TestDvrRouterOperations(base.BaseTestCase):
         ri1.remove_centralized_floatingip(fip_cidr)
         ri1._remove_vip.assert_called_once_with(fip_cidr)
         super_remove_centralized_floatingip.assert_called_once_with(fip_cidr)
+
+    def test_initialize_dvr_ha_router_snat_ns_once(self):
+        agent = l3_agent.L3NATAgent(HOSTNAME, self.conf)
+        agent.conf.agent_mode = lib_constants.L3_AGENT_MODE_DVR_SNAT
+        router = l3_test_common.prepare_router_data(
+            num_internal_ports=2, enable_ha=True)
+        router['gw_port_host'] = HOSTNAME
+        router[lib_constants.HA_INTERFACE_KEY]['status'] = 'ACTIVE'
+        self.mock_driver.unplug.reset_mock()
+        self._set_ri_kwargs(agent, router['id'], router)
+        ri = dvr_edge_ha_rtr.DvrEdgeHaRouter(HOSTNAME, [], **self.ri_kwargs)
+        ri._create_snat_namespace = mock.Mock()
+        ri.update_initial_state = mock.Mock()
+        ri._plug_external_gateway = mock.Mock()
+        ri.initialize(mock.Mock())
+        ri._create_dvr_gateway(mock.Mock(), mock.Mock())
+        ri._create_snat_namespace.assert_called_once_with()