diff --git a/neutron/agent/l3/agent.py b/neutron/agent/l3/agent.py
index 946a1c6b864..a8b2447ce92 100644
--- a/neutron/agent/l3/agent.py
+++ b/neutron/agent/l3/agent.py
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ class L3NATAgent(ha.AgentMixin,
         is_dvr_only_agent = (self.conf.agent_mode in
                              [lib_const.L3_AGENT_MODE_DVR,
                               lib_const.L3_AGENT_MODE_DVR_NO_EXTERNAL])
-        is_ha_router = getattr(ri, 'ha_state', None) is not None
+        is_ha_router = getattr(ri, 'ha_state', False)
         # For HA routers check that DB state matches actual state
         if router.get('ha') and not is_dvr_only_agent and is_ha_router:
             self.check_ha_state_for_router(
diff --git a/neutron/agent/l3/ha.py b/neutron/agent/l3/ha.py
index 7b049d34bc9..69a4b056153 100644
--- a/neutron/agent/l3/ha.py
+++ b/neutron/agent/l3/ha.py
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ KEEPALIVED_STATE_CHANGE_SERVER_BACKLOG = 4096
 
 TRANSLATION_MAP = {'master': constants.HA_ROUTER_STATE_ACTIVE,
                    'backup': constants.HA_ROUTER_STATE_STANDBY,
-                   'fault': constants.HA_ROUTER_STATE_STANDBY}
+                   'fault': constants.HA_ROUTER_STATE_STANDBY,
+                   'unknown': constants.HA_ROUTER_STATE_UNKNOWN}
 
 
 class KeepalivedStateChangeHandler(object):
diff --git a/neutron/agent/l3/ha_router.py b/neutron/agent/l3/ha_router.py
index 20b6c57e7d5..771d651eea3 100644
--- a/neutron/agent/l3/ha_router.py
+++ b/neutron/agent/l3/ha_router.py
@@ -76,14 +76,15 @@ class HaRouter(router.RouterInfo):
 
     @property
     def ha_state(self):
+        state = None
         ha_state_path = self.keepalived_manager.get_full_config_file_path(
             'state')
         try:
             with open(ha_state_path, 'r') as f:
-                return f.read()
+                state = f.read()
         except (OSError, IOError):
             LOG.debug('Error while reading HA state for %s', self.router_id)
-            return None
+        return state or 'unknown'
 
     @ha_state.setter
     def ha_state(self, new_state):
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_ha_router.py b/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_ha_router.py
index e5f58142918..33ec7bc902c 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_ha_router.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/agent/l3/test_ha_router.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from oslo_utils import uuidutils
 from neutron.agent.l3 import ha_router
 from neutron.agent.l3 import router_info
 from neutron.tests import base
+from neutron.tests import tools
 
 _uuid = uuidutils.generate_uuid
 
@@ -115,3 +116,28 @@ class TestBasicRouterOperations(base.BaseTestCase):
         calls = ["sig='str(%d)'" % signal.SIGTERM,
                  "sig='str(%d)'" % signal.SIGKILL]
         mock_pm.disable.has_calls(calls)
+
+    def _test_ha_state(self, read_return, expected):
+        ri = self._create_router(mock.MagicMock())
+        ri.keepalived_manager = mock.Mock()
+        ri.keepalived_manager.get_full_config_file_path.return_value = (
+            'ha_state')
+        self.mock_open = self.useFixture(
+            tools.OpenFixture('ha_state', read_return)).mock_open
+        self.assertEqual(expected, ri.ha_state)
+
+    def test_ha_state_master(self):
+        self._test_ha_state('master', 'master')
+
+    def test_ha_state_unknown(self):
+        # an empty state file should yield 'unknown'
+        self._test_ha_state('', 'unknown')
+
+    def test_ha_state_ioerror(self):
+        # an error reading the state file should yield 'unknown'
+        ri = self._create_router(mock.MagicMock())
+        ri.keepalived_manager = mock.Mock()
+        ri.keepalived_manager.get_full_config_file_path.return_value = (
+            'ha_state')
+        self.mock_open = IOError
+        self.assertEqual('unknown', ri.ha_state)