diff --git a/neutron/plugins/ml2/rpc.py b/neutron/plugins/ml2/rpc.py
index ddcc87dc7a9..95c9c96b3d9 100644
--- a/neutron/plugins/ml2/rpc.py
+++ b/neutron/plugins/ml2/rpc.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from neutron_lib.plugins import directory
 from neutron_lib.plugins.ml2 import api
 from neutron_lib import rpc as n_rpc
 from neutron_lib.services.qos import constants as qos_consts
+from oslo_config import cfg
 from oslo_log import log
 import oslo_messaging
 from sqlalchemy.orm import exc
@@ -277,7 +278,12 @@ class RpcCallbacks(type_tunnel.TunnelRpcCallbackMixin):
             else:
                 if port.device_owner.startswith(
                         n_const.DEVICE_OWNER_COMPUTE_PREFIX):
-                    plugin.nova_notifier.notify_port_active_direct(port)
+                    # NOTE(haleyb): It is possible for a test to override a
+                    # config option after the plugin has been initialized so
+                    # the nova_notifier attribute is not set on the plugin.
+                    if (cfg.CONF.notify_nova_on_port_status_changes and
+                            hasattr(plugin, 'nova_notifier')):
+                        plugin.nova_notifier.notify_port_active_direct(port)
                     return
         else:
             self.update_port_status_to_active(port, rpc_context, port_id, host)
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/test_rpc.py b/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/test_rpc.py
index 4fa7d263f3a..4a644b616b0 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/test_rpc.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/test_rpc.py
@@ -240,6 +240,12 @@ class RpcCallbacksTestCase(base.BaseTestCase):
             (self.plugin.nova_notifier.notify_port_active_direct.
              assert_called_once_with(port))
 
+    def test_update_device_up_with_device_not_bound_to_host_no_notify(self):
+        cfg.CONF.set_override('notify_nova_on_port_status_changes', False)
+        self.assertIsNone(self._test_update_device_not_bound_to_host(
+            self.callbacks.update_device_up))
+        self.plugin.nova_notifier.notify_port_active_direct.assert_not_called()
+
     def test_update_device_down_with_device_not_bound_to_host(self):
         self.assertEqual(
             {'device': 'fake_device', 'exists': True},