diff --git a/nova/db/sqlalchemy/api.py b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
index 240e6deac51e..3bf45918819f 100644
--- a/nova/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
+++ b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
@@ -134,11 +134,13 @@ def get_engine(use_slave=False, context=None):
     :param context: The request context that can contain a context manager
     """
     ctxt_mgr = get_context_manager(context)
-    return ctxt_mgr.get_legacy_facade().get_engine(use_slave=use_slave)
+    if use_slave:
+        return ctxt_mgr.reader.get_engine()
+    return ctxt_mgr.writer.get_engine()
 
 
 def get_api_engine():
-    return api_context_manager.get_legacy_facade().get_engine()
+    return api_context_manager.writer.get_engine()
 
 
 _SHADOW_TABLE_PREFIX = 'shadow_'
diff --git a/nova/tests/fixtures.py b/nova/tests/fixtures.py
index ff88eb2c5b54..070da73bff44 100644
--- a/nova/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/nova/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ class CellDatabases(fixtures.Fixture):
         global DB_SCHEMA
         if not DB_SCHEMA['main']:
             ctxt_mgr = self._ctxt_mgrs[connection_str]
-            engine = ctxt_mgr.get_legacy_facade().get_engine()
+            engine = ctxt_mgr.writer.get_engine()
             conn = engine.connect()
             migration.db_sync(database='main')
             DB_SCHEMA['main'] = "".join(line for line
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ class CellDatabases(fixtures.Fixture):
                 'nova.db.sqlalchemy.api.get_context_manager',
                 get_context_manager):
             self._cache_schema(connection_str)
-            engine = ctxt_mgr.get_legacy_facade().get_engine()
+            engine = ctxt_mgr.writer.get_engine()
             engine.dispose()
             conn = engine.connect()
             conn.connection.executescript(DB_SCHEMA['main'])
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ class CellDatabases(fixtures.Fixture):
 
     def cleanup(self):
         for ctxt_mgr in self._ctxt_mgrs.values():
-            engine = ctxt_mgr.get_legacy_facade().get_engine()
+            engine = ctxt_mgr.writer.get_engine()
             engine.dispose()
 
 
@@ -591,8 +591,7 @@ class Database(fixtures.Fixture):
             if connection is not None:
                 ctxt_mgr = session.create_context_manager(
                         connection=connection)
-                facade = ctxt_mgr.get_legacy_facade()
-                self.get_engine = facade.get_engine
+                self.get_engine = ctxt_mgr.writer.get_engine
             else:
                 self.get_engine = session.get_engine
         elif database == 'api':
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/db/test_db_api.py b/nova/tests/unit/db/test_db_api.py
index 8acfbfb65eaa..a792a5ea6765 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/db/test_db_api.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/db/test_db_api.py
@@ -682,15 +682,15 @@ class SqlAlchemyDbApiNoDbTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         self.assertEqual('|', filter('|'))
         self.assertEqual('LIKE', op)
 
-    @mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy_api.main_context_manager._factory,
-                       'get_legacy_facade')
-    def test_get_engine(self, mock_create_facade):
-        mock_facade = mock.MagicMock()
-        mock_create_facade.return_value = mock_facade
-
+    @mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy_api, 'main_context_manager')
+    def test_get_engine(self, mock_ctxt_mgr):
         sqlalchemy_api.get_engine()
-        mock_create_facade.assert_called_once_with()
-        mock_facade.get_engine.assert_called_once_with(use_slave=False)
+        mock_ctxt_mgr.writer.get_engine.assert_called_once_with()
+
+    @mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy_api, 'main_context_manager')
+    def test_get_engine_use_slave(self, mock_ctxt_mgr):
+        sqlalchemy_api.get_engine(use_slave=True)
+        mock_ctxt_mgr.reader.get_engine.assert_called_once_with()
 
     def test_get_db_conf_with_connection(self):
         mock_conf_group = mock.MagicMock()
@@ -699,15 +699,10 @@ class SqlAlchemyDbApiNoDbTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                                               connection='fake://')
         self.assertEqual('fake://', db_conf['connection'])
 
-    @mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy_api.api_context_manager._factory,
-                       'get_legacy_facade')
-    def test_get_api_engine(self, mock_create_facade):
-        mock_facade = mock.MagicMock()
-        mock_create_facade.return_value = mock_facade
-
+    @mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy_api, 'api_context_manager')
+    def test_get_api_engine(self, mock_ctxt_mgr):
         sqlalchemy_api.get_api_engine()
-        mock_create_facade.assert_called_once_with()
-        mock_facade.get_engine.assert_called_once_with()
+        mock_ctxt_mgr.writer.get_engine.assert_called_once_with()
 
     @mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy_api, '_instance_get_by_uuid')
     @mock.patch.object(sqlalchemy_api, '_instances_fill_metadata')