diff --git a/neutron/agent/l3/agent.py b/neutron/agent/l3/agent.py
index e9b284f9870..a210424a8f2 100644
--- a/neutron/agent/l3/agent.py
+++ b/neutron/agent/l3/agent.py
@@ -322,7 +322,13 @@ class L3NATAgent(ha.AgentMixin,
             kwargs['host'] = self.host
 
         if router.get('distributed') and router.get('ha'):
-            if self.conf.agent_mode == lib_const.L3_AGENT_MODE_DVR_SNAT:
+            # if the router does not contain information about the HA interface
+            # this means that this DVR+HA router needs to host only the edge
+            # side of it, typically because it's landing on a node that needs
+            # to provision a router namespace because of a DVR service port
+            # (e.g. DHCP).
+            if (self.conf.agent_mode == lib_const.L3_AGENT_MODE_DVR_SNAT
+                    and router.get(lib_const.HA_INTERFACE_KEY) is not None):
                 kwargs['state_change_callback'] = self.enqueue_state_change
                 return dvr_edge_ha_router.DvrEdgeHaRouter(*args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/neutron/db/l3_hamode_db.py b/neutron/db/l3_hamode_db.py
index 6baed83c837..3839a28cb1a 100644
--- a/neutron/db/l3_hamode_db.py
+++ b/neutron/db/l3_hamode_db.py
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ class L3_HA_NAT_db_mixin(l3_dvr_db.L3_NAT_with_dvr_db_mixin,
             None)
 
     @log_helpers.log_method_call
-    def _process_sync_ha_data(self, context, routers, host, agent_mode):
+    def _process_sync_ha_data(self, context, routers, host, is_any_dvr_agent):
         routers_dict = dict((router['id'], router) for router in routers)
 
         bindings = self.get_ha_router_port_bindings(context,
@@ -614,12 +614,11 @@ class L3_HA_NAT_db_mixin(l3_dvr_db.L3_NAT_with_dvr_db_mixin,
 
         self._populate_mtu_and_subnets_for_ports(context, interfaces)
 
-        # If this is a DVR+HA router, but the agent in question is in 'dvr'
-        # or 'dvr_no_external' mode (as opposed to 'dvr_snat'), then we want to
-        # always return it even though it's missing the '_ha_interface' key.
+        # If this is a DVR+HA router, then we want to always return it even
+        # though it's missing the '_ha_interface' key. The agent will have
+        # to figure out what kind of router setup is needed.
         return [r for r in list(routers_dict.values())
-                if (agent_mode == constants.L3_AGENT_MODE_DVR or
-                    agent_mode == n_const.L3_AGENT_MODE_DVR_NO_EXTERNAL or
+                if (is_any_dvr_agent or
                     not r.get('ha') or r.get(constants.HA_INTERFACE_KEY))]
 
     @log_helpers.log_method_call
@@ -638,7 +637,8 @@ class L3_HA_NAT_db_mixin(l3_dvr_db.L3_NAT_with_dvr_db_mixin,
         else:
             sync_data = super(L3_HA_NAT_db_mixin, self).get_sync_data(context,
                                                             router_ids, active)
-        return self._process_sync_ha_data(context, sync_data, host, agent_mode)
+        return self._process_sync_ha_data(
+            context, sync_data, host, dvr_agent_mode)
 
     @classmethod
     def _set_router_states(cls, context, bindings, states):
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_agent.py b/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_agent.py
index 328ced70a06..82164ea77a7 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_agent.py
@@ -2524,6 +2524,17 @@ class TestBasicRouterOperations(BasicRouterOperationsFramework):
     def test_process_routers_update_router_deleted_error(self):
         self._test_process_routers_update_router_deleted(error=True)
 
+    def test_process_ha_dvr_router_if_compatible_no_ha_interface(self):
+        agent = l3_agent.L3NATAgent(HOSTNAME, self.conf)
+        agent.conf.agent_mode = 'dvr_snat'
+        router = {'id': _uuid(),
+                  'distributed': True, 'ha': True,
+                  'external_gateway_info': {}, 'routes': [],
+                  'admin_state_up': True}
+
+        agent._process_router_if_compatible(router)
+        self.assertIn(router['id'], agent.router_info)
+
     def test_process_router_if_compatible_with_no_ext_net_in_conf(self):
         self.conf.set_override('external_network_bridge', 'br-ex')
         agent = l3_agent.L3NATAgent(HOSTNAME, self.conf)
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/db/test_l3_hamode_db.py b/neutron/tests/unit/db/test_l3_hamode_db.py
index 7af3df5fc53..2380143bb15 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/db/test_l3_hamode_db.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/db/test_l3_hamode_db.py
@@ -419,6 +419,19 @@ class L3HATestCase(L3HATestFramework):
         self.assertEqual(1, len(subnets))
         self.assertEqual(cfg.CONF.l3_ha_net_cidr, subnets[0]['cidr'])
 
+    def test_l3_agent_routers_query_interface_includes_dvrsnat(self):
+        router = self._create_router(distributed=True)
+        routers = self.plugin.get_ha_sync_data_for_host(self.admin_ctx,
+                                                        'a-dvr_snat-host',
+                                                        self.agent2)
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(routers))
+        router = routers[0]
+
+        self.assertTrue(router.get('ha'))
+
+        interface = router.get(constants.HA_INTERFACE_KEY)
+        self.assertIsNone(interface)
+
     def test_unique_ha_network_per_tenant(self):
         tenant1 = _uuid()
         tenant2 = _uuid()
@@ -778,8 +791,7 @@ class L3HATestCase(L3HATestFramework):
         orig_func = self.plugin._process_sync_ha_data
 
         def process_sync_ha_data(context, routers, host, agent_mode):
-            return orig_func(context, routers, host,
-                             agent_mode=constants.L3_AGENT_MODE_DVR)
+            return orig_func(context, routers, host, is_any_dvr_agent=True)
 
         with mock.patch.object(self.plugin, '_process_sync_ha_data',
                                side_effect=process_sync_ha_data):