diff --git a/nova/compute/api.py b/nova/compute/api.py
index a68a26cff5b5..71217c7c5dd0 100644
--- a/nova/compute/api.py
+++ b/nova/compute/api.py
@@ -848,7 +848,13 @@ class API(base.Base):
                 block_device.properties_root_device_name(
                     boot_meta.get('properties', {})))
 
-        image_meta = objects.ImageMeta.from_dict(boot_meta)
+        try:
+            image_meta = objects.ImageMeta.from_dict(boot_meta)
+        except ValueError as e:
+            # there must be invalid values in the image meta properties so
+            # consider this an invalid request
+            msg = _('Invalid image metadata. Error: %s') % six.text_type(e)
+            raise exception.InvalidRequest(msg)
         numa_topology = hardware.numa_get_constraints(
                 instance_type, image_meta)
 
diff --git a/nova/tests/functional/regressions/test_bug_1558866.py b/nova/tests/functional/regressions/test_bug_1558866.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..378b629aa894
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nova/tests/functional/regressions/test_bug_1558866.py
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+# Copyright 2016 IBM Corp.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+import datetime
+
+from oslo_config import cfg
+
+from nova import test
+from nova.tests import fixtures as nova_fixtures
+from nova.tests.functional.api import client as api_client
+from nova.tests.unit.image import fake as fake_image
+from nova.tests.unit import policy_fixture
+
+CONF = cfg.CONF
+CONF.import_opt('null_kernel', 'nova.compute.api')
+
+
+class TestServerGet(test.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(TestServerGet, self).setUp()
+        self.useFixture(policy_fixture.RealPolicyFixture())
+        api_fixture = self.useFixture(nova_fixtures.OSAPIFixture(
+            api_version='v2.1'))
+
+        self.api = api_fixture.api
+
+        # the image fake backend needed for image discovery
+        image_service = fake_image.stub_out_image_service(self)
+        self.addCleanup(fake_image.FakeImageService_reset)
+
+        # NOTE(mriedem): This image has an invalid architecture metadata value
+        # and is used for negative testing in the functional stack.
+        timestamp = datetime.datetime(2011, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3)
+        image = {'id': 'c456eb30-91d7-4f43-8f46-2efd9eccd744',
+                 'name': 'fake-image-invalid-arch',
+                 'created_at': timestamp,
+                 'updated_at': timestamp,
+                 'deleted_at': None,
+                 'deleted': False,
+                 'status': 'active',
+                 'is_public': False,
+                 'container_format': 'raw',
+                 'disk_format': 'raw',
+                 'size': '25165824',
+                 'properties': {'kernel_id': CONF.null_kernel,
+                                'ramdisk_id': CONF.null_kernel,
+                                'architecture': 'x64'}}
+        self.image_id = image_service.create(None, image)['id']
+        self.flavor_id = self.api.get_flavors()[0]['id']
+
+    def test_boot_server_with_invalid_image_meta(self):
+        """Regression test for bug #1558866.
+
+        Glance allows you to provide any architecture value for image meta
+        properties but nova validates the image metadata against the
+        nova.compute.arch.ALL values during the conversion to the ImageMeta
+        object. This test ensures we get a 400 back in that case rather than
+        a 500.
+        """
+        server = dict(name='server1',
+                      imageRef=self.image_id,
+                      flavorRef=self.flavor_id)
+        ex = self.assertRaises(api_client.OpenStackApiException,
+                               self.api.post_server, {'server': server})
+        self.assertEqual(400, ex.response.status_code)