diff --git a/nova/context.py b/nova/context.py
index e5700356fb66..955488c80871 100644
--- a/nova/context.py
+++ b/nova/context.py
@@ -419,9 +419,11 @@ def scatter_gather_cells(context, cell_mappings, timeout, fn, *args, **kwargs):
     queue = eventlet.queue.LightQueue()
     results = {}
 
-    def gather_result(cell_uuid, fn, *args, **kwargs):
+    def gather_result(cell_mapping, fn, context, *args, **kwargs):
+        cell_uuid = cell_mapping.uuid
         try:
-            result = fn(*args, **kwargs)
+            with target_cell(context, cell_mapping) as cctxt:
+                result = fn(cctxt, *args, **kwargs)
         except Exception:
             LOG.exception('Error gathering result from cell %s', cell_uuid)
             result = raised_exception_sentinel
@@ -429,10 +431,9 @@ def scatter_gather_cells(context, cell_mappings, timeout, fn, *args, **kwargs):
         queue.put((cell_uuid, result))
 
     for cell_mapping in cell_mappings:
-        with target_cell(context, cell_mapping) as cctxt:
-            greenthreads.append((cell_mapping.uuid,
-                                 utils.spawn(gather_result, cell_mapping.uuid,
-                                             fn, cctxt, *args, **kwargs)))
+        greenthreads.append((cell_mapping.uuid,
+                             utils.spawn(gather_result, cell_mapping,
+                                         fn, context, *args, **kwargs)))
 
     with eventlet.timeout.Timeout(timeout, exception.CellTimeout):
         try:
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/test_context.py b/nova/tests/unit/test_context.py
index e0191e1be9aa..724e6202b6c5 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/test_context.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/test_context.py
@@ -309,21 +309,35 @@ class ContextTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
     @mock.patch('nova.context.target_cell')
     @mock.patch('nova.objects.InstanceList.get_by_filters')
     def test_scatter_gather_cells(self, mock_get_inst, mock_target_cell):
-        self.useFixture(nova_fixtures.SpawnIsSynchronousFixture())
         ctxt = context.get_context()
         mapping = objects.CellMapping(database_connection='fake://db',
                                       transport_url='fake://mq',
                                       uuid=uuids.cell)
         mappings = objects.CellMappingList(objects=[mapping])
 
+        # Use a mock manager to assert call order across mocks.
+        manager = mock.Mock()
+        manager.attach_mock(mock_get_inst, 'get_inst')
+        manager.attach_mock(mock_target_cell, 'target_cell')
+
         filters = {'deleted': False}
         context.scatter_gather_cells(
             ctxt, mappings, 60, objects.InstanceList.get_by_filters, filters,
             sort_dir='foo')
 
-        mock_get_inst.assert_called_once_with(
+        # NOTE(melwitt): This only works without the SpawnIsSynchronous fixture
+        # because when the spawn is treated as synchronous and the thread
+        # function is called immediately, it will occur inside the target_cell
+        # context manager scope when it wouldn't with a real spawn.
+
+        # Assert that InstanceList.get_by_filters was called before the
+        # target_cell context manager exited.
+        get_inst_call = mock.call.get_inst(
             mock_target_cell.return_value.__enter__.return_value, filters,
             sort_dir='foo')
+        expected_calls = [get_inst_call,
+                          mock.call.target_cell().__exit__(None, None, None)]
+        manager.assert_has_calls(expected_calls)
 
     @mock.patch('nova.context.LOG.warning')
     @mock.patch('eventlet.timeout.Timeout')