diff --git a/nova/tests/functional/api_sample_tests/README.rst b/nova/tests/functional/api_sample_tests/README.rst
index 55e038a6f61b..2ada29481113 100644
--- a/nova/tests/functional/api_sample_tests/README.rst
+++ b/nova/tests/functional/api_sample_tests/README.rst
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@ tests in this directory.
 
 To add a new api sample, add tests for the common passing and failing
 cases in this directory for your extension, and modify test_samples.py
-for your tests. There should be both JSON and XML tests included.
+for your tests.
 
 Then run the following command:
 
-  GENERATE_SAMPLES=True tox -e functional
+    tox -e api-samples
 
 Which will create the files on doc/api_samples.
 
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 17172ad43567..ab4397a237f7 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -66,6 +66,18 @@ commands =
   find . -type f -name "*.pyc" -delete
   bash tools/pretty_tox.sh '{posargs}'
 
+[testenv:api-samples]
+usedevelop = True
+install_command = pip install -U --force-reinstall {opts} {packages}
+setenv = VIRTUAL_ENV={envdir}
+       GENERATE_SAMPLES=True
+       PYTHONHASHSEED=0
+       OS_TEST_PATH=./nova/tests/functional/api_sample_tests
+       LANGUAGE=en_US
+commands =
+  find . -type f -name "*.pyc" -delete
+  bash tools/pretty_tox.sh '{posargs}'
+
 [testenv:functional-constraints]
 usedevelop = {[testenv:functional]usedevelop}
 install_command = {[testenv:common-constraints]install_command}