diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/servers.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/servers.py
index ac78ee1e8ff3..100955694186 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/servers.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/servers.py
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ class ServersController(wsgi.Controller):
         req.cache_db_instance(instance)
         return self._view_builder.show(req, instance)
 
-    @extensions.expected_errors((400, 409, 413))
+    @extensions.expected_errors((400, 403, 409, 413))
     @wsgi.response(202)
     @validation.schema(schema_server_create)
     def create(self, req, body):
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ class ServersController(wsgi.Controller):
                             **create_kwargs)
         except (exception.QuotaError,
                 exception.PortLimitExceeded) as error:
-            raise exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge(
+            raise exc.HTTPForbidden(
                 explanation=error.format_message(),
                 headers={'Retry-After': 0})
         except exception.InvalidMetadataSize as error:
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ class ServersController(wsgi.Controller):
         try:
             self.compute_api.resize(context, instance, flavor_id, **kwargs)
         except exception.QuotaError as error:
-            raise exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge(
+            raise exc.HTTPForbidden(
                 explanation=error.format_message(),
                 headers={'Retry-After': 0})
         except exception.FlavorNotFound:
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ class ServersController(wsgi.Controller):
 
         return common.get_id_from_href(flavor_ref)
 
-    @extensions.expected_errors((400, 401, 404, 409, 413))
+    @extensions.expected_errors((400, 401, 403, 404, 409))
     @wsgi.response(202)
     @wsgi.action('resize')
     def _action_resize(self, req, id, body):
diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/servers.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/servers.py
index c5cc30b0a678..9cb0fce03505 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/servers.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/servers.py
@@ -957,7 +957,7 @@ class Controller(wsgi.Controller):
                             legacy_bdm=legacy_bdm)
         except (exception.QuotaError,
                 exception.PortLimitExceeded) as error:
-            raise exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge(
+            raise exc.HTTPForbidden(
                 explanation=error.format_message(),
                 headers={'Retry-After': 0})
         except exception.InvalidMetadataSize as error:
@@ -1166,7 +1166,7 @@ class Controller(wsgi.Controller):
         try:
             self.compute_api.resize(context, instance, flavor_id, **kwargs)
         except exception.QuotaError as error:
-            raise exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge(
+            raise exc.HTTPForbidden(
                 explanation=error.format_message(),
                 headers={'Retry-After': 0})
         except exception.FlavorNotFound:
diff --git a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_server_actions.py b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_server_actions.py
index d4bd9369ed4f..7b1e98638c5f 100644
--- a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_server_actions.py
+++ b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_server_actions.py
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ class ServerActionsControllerTest(test.TestCase):
         self.stubs.Set(compute_api.API, 'resize', fake_resize)
 
         req = fakes.HTTPRequestV3.blank(self.url)
-        self.assertRaises(webob.exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge,
+        self.assertRaises(webob.exc.HTTPForbidden,
                           self.controller._action_resize,
                           req, FAKE_UUID, body)
 
diff --git a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_servers.py b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_servers.py
index b46c37a9d289..ff3436babdce 100644
--- a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_servers.py
+++ b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/test_servers.py
@@ -2267,7 +2267,7 @@ class ServersControllerCreateTest(test.TestCase):
         self.body['server']['image_ref'] = image_href
         self.body['server']['metadata']['vote'] = 'fiddletown'
         self.req.body = jsonutils.dumps(self.body)
-        self.assertRaises(webob.exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge,
+        self.assertRaises(webob.exc.HTTPForbidden,
                           self.controller.create, self.req, body=self.body)
 
     def test_create_instance_metadata_key_too_long(self):
@@ -2431,7 +2431,7 @@ class ServersControllerCreateTest(test.TestCase):
         try:
             self.controller.create(self.req, body=self.body).obj['server']
             self.fail('expected quota to be exceeded')
-        except webob.exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge as e:
+        except webob.exc.HTTPForbidden as e:
             self.assertEqual(e.explanation, expected_msg)
 
     def test_create_instance_above_quota_instances(self):
diff --git a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/test_server_actions.py b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/test_server_actions.py
index ec4268629866..628a5af424ea 100644
--- a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/test_server_actions.py
+++ b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/test_server_actions.py
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ class ServerActionsControllerTest(test.TestCase):
         self.stubs.Set(compute_api.API, 'resize', fake_resize)
 
         req = fakes.HTTPRequest.blank(self.url)
-        self.assertRaises(webob.exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge,
+        self.assertRaises(webob.exc.HTTPForbidden,
                           self.controller._action_resize,
                           req, FAKE_UUID, body)
 
diff --git a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/test_servers.py b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/test_servers.py
index 0edab4760a6a..090315cf3ad6 100644
--- a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/test_servers.py
+++ b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/test_servers.py
@@ -2317,7 +2317,7 @@ class ServersControllerCreateTest(test.TestCase):
         self.body['server']['imageRef'] = image_href
         self.body['server']['metadata']['vote'] = 'fiddletown'
         self.req.body = jsonutils.dumps(self.body)
-        self.assertRaises(webob.exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge,
+        self.assertRaises(webob.exc.HTTPForbidden,
                           self.controller.create, self.req, self.body)
 
     def test_create_instance_metadata_key_too_long(self):
@@ -3263,7 +3263,7 @@ class ServersControllerCreateTest(test.TestCase):
         try:
             self.controller.create(self.req, self.body).obj['server']
             self.fail('expected quota to be exceeded')
-        except webob.exc.HTTPRequestEntityTooLarge as e:
+        except webob.exc.HTTPForbidden as e:
             self.assertEqual(e.explanation, expected_msg)
 
     def test_create_instance_above_quota_instances(self):