diff --git a/nova/compute/manager.py b/nova/compute/manager.py
index 86523e006935..c44a4490ed39 100644
--- a/nova/compute/manager.py
+++ b/nova/compute/manager.py
@@ -1324,7 +1324,7 @@ class ComputeManager(manager.Manager):
 
             f = self.reportclient.get_allocations_for_resource_provider
             allocations = f(context, cn_uuid)
-            if not allocations:
+            if allocations is None:
                 LOG.error(
                     "Could not retrieve compute node resource provider %s and "
                     "therefore unable to error out any instances stuck in "
diff --git a/nova/scheduler/client/report.py b/nova/scheduler/client/report.py
index 51005164a9c8..23bb6fc89ac0 100644
--- a/nova/scheduler/client/report.py
+++ b/nova/scheduler/client/report.py
@@ -1938,7 +1938,11 @@ class SchedulerReportClient(object):
         url = '/resource_providers/%s/allocations' % rp_uuid
         resp = self.get(url, global_request_id=context.global_id)
         if not resp:
-            return {}
+            # NOTE(gibi): The request failed with an error response. Rather
+            # than return an empty dict, which is possible if there are no
+            # allocations against the given provider, return None to indicate
+            # a failure - like in the @safe_connect decorator.
+            return None
         else:
             return resp.json()['allocations']
 
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py
index 85e89a530038..00c38b82d461 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py
@@ -976,6 +976,78 @@ class ComputeManagerUnitTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         mock_instance_save.assert_called_once_with()
         self.assertEqual(vm_states.ERROR, interrupted_instance.vm_state)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(manager.LOG, 'error')
+    @mock.patch.object(objects.Instance, 'save')
+    @mock.patch.object(objects.InstanceList, 'get_by_filters')
+    @mock.patch('nova.scheduler.client.report.SchedulerReportClient.'
+                'get_allocations_for_resource_provider')
+    @mock.patch.object(objects.ComputeNode, 'get_by_host_and_nodename')
+    @mock.patch.object(fake_driver.FakeDriver, 'get_available_nodes')
+    def test_init_host_with_interrupted_instance_build_empty_compute(
+            self, mock_get_nodes, mock_get_by_host_and_node,
+            mock_get_allocations, mock_get_instances, mock_instance_save,
+            mock_log):
+
+        mock_get_nodes.return_value = ['fake-node']
+        mock_get_by_host_and_node.return_value = objects.ComputeNode(
+            host=self.compute.host, uuid=uuids.cn_uuid)
+
+        # no instances on the host so no allocations in placement
+        allocations = {}
+        mock_get_allocations.return_value = allocations
+        mock_get_instances.return_value = objects.InstanceList(
+            self.context, objects=[])
+
+        self.compute._error_out_instances_whose_build_was_interrupted(
+            self.context, set())
+
+        mock_get_by_host_and_node.assert_called_once_with(
+            self.context, self.compute.host, 'fake-node')
+        mock_get_allocations.assert_called_once_with(
+            self.context, uuids.cn_uuid)
+
+        mock_get_instances.assert_not_called()
+        mock_instance_save.assert_not_called()
+        mock_log.assert_not_called()
+
+    @mock.patch.object(manager.LOG, 'error')
+    @mock.patch.object(objects.Instance, 'save')
+    @mock.patch.object(objects.InstanceList, 'get_by_filters')
+    @mock.patch('nova.scheduler.client.report.SchedulerReportClient.'
+                'get_allocations_for_resource_provider')
+    @mock.patch.object(objects.ComputeNode, 'get_by_host_and_nodename')
+    @mock.patch.object(fake_driver.FakeDriver, 'get_available_nodes')
+    def test_init_host_with_interrupted_instance_build_placement_error(
+            self, mock_get_nodes, mock_get_by_host_and_node,
+            mock_get_allocations, mock_get_instances, mock_instance_save,
+            mock_log):
+
+        mock_get_nodes.return_value = ['fake-node']
+        mock_get_by_host_and_node.return_value = objects.ComputeNode(
+            host=self.compute.host, uuid=uuids.cn_uuid)
+
+        # get_allocations_for_resource_provider returns None if placement
+        # returns an error
+        allocations = None
+        mock_get_allocations.return_value = allocations
+        mock_get_instances.return_value = objects.InstanceList(
+            self.context, objects=[])
+
+        self.compute._error_out_instances_whose_build_was_interrupted(
+            self.context, set())
+
+        mock_get_by_host_and_node.assert_called_once_with(
+            self.context, self.compute.host, 'fake-node')
+        mock_get_allocations.assert_called_once_with(
+            self.context, uuids.cn_uuid)
+
+        mock_get_instances.assert_not_called()
+        mock_instance_save.assert_not_called()
+        mock_log.assert_called_once_with(
+            'Could not retrieve compute node resource provider %s and '
+            'therefore unable to error out any instances stuck in '
+            'BUILDING state.', uuids.cn_uuid)
+
     @mock.patch.object(manager.LOG, 'warning')
     @mock.patch.object(
         fake_driver.FakeDriver, 'get_available_nodes',