diff --git a/nova/conf/scheduler.py b/nova/conf/scheduler.py
index 4bf76888ae8e..d7173b088506 100644
--- a/nova/conf/scheduler.py
+++ b/nova/conf/scheduler.py
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ metrics_weight_opts = [
 
 scheduler_max_att_opt = cfg.IntOpt("scheduler_max_attempts",
             default=3,
+            min=1,
             help="Maximum number of attempts to schedule an instance")
 
 soft_affinity_weight_opt = cfg.FloatOpt('soft_affinity_weight_multiplier',
diff --git a/nova/scheduler/utils.py b/nova/scheduler/utils.py
index c5bd432ddd87..1a094df591fb 100644
--- a/nova/scheduler/utils.py
+++ b/nova/scheduler/utils.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ def populate_filter_properties(filter_properties, host_state):
 
 
 def populate_retry(filter_properties, instance_uuid):
-    max_attempts = _max_attempts()
+    max_attempts = CONF.scheduler_max_attempts
     force_hosts = filter_properties.get('force_hosts', [])
     force_nodes = filter_properties.get('force_nodes', [])
 
@@ -193,14 +193,6 @@ def _log_compute_error(instance_uuid, retry):
               instance_uuid=instance_uuid)
 
 
-def _max_attempts():
-    max_attempts = CONF.scheduler_max_attempts
-    if max_attempts < 1:
-        raise exception.NovaException(_("Invalid value for "
-            "'scheduler_max_attempts', must be >= 1"))
-    return max_attempts
-
-
 def _add_retry_host(filter_properties, host, node):
     """Add a retry entry for the selected compute node. In the event that
     the request gets re-scheduled, this entry will signal that the given
@@ -377,4 +369,4 @@ def retry_on_timeout(retries=1):
         return wrapped
     return outer
 
-retry_select_destinations = retry_on_timeout(_max_attempts() - 1)
+retry_select_destinations = retry_on_timeout(CONF.scheduler_max_attempts - 1)
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/test_filter_scheduler.py b/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/test_filter_scheduler.py
index 760b013efae6..2c93762361a3 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/test_filter_scheduler.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/test_filter_scheduler.py
@@ -82,15 +82,6 @@ class FilterSchedulerTestCase(test_scheduler.SchedulerTestCase):
         for weighed_host in weighed_hosts:
             self.assertIsNotNone(weighed_host.obj)
 
-    def test_max_attempts(self):
-        self.flags(scheduler_max_attempts=4)
-        self.assertEqual(4, scheduler_utils._max_attempts())
-
-    def test_invalid_max_attempts(self):
-        self.flags(scheduler_max_attempts=0)
-        self.assertRaises(exception.NovaException,
-                          scheduler_utils._max_attempts)
-
     def test_add_retry_host(self):
         retry = dict(num_attempts=1, hosts=[])
         filter_properties = dict(retry=retry)
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/test_scheduler_utils.py b/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/test_scheduler_utils.py
index a9437de445b7..27ef76c5466d 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/test_scheduler_utils.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/test_scheduler_utils.py
@@ -187,9 +187,8 @@ class SchedulerUtilsTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         self._test_populate_filter_props(force_nodes=['force-node1',
                                                       'force-node2'])
 
-    @mock.patch.object(scheduler_utils, '_max_attempts')
-    def test_populate_retry_exception_at_max_attempts(self, _max_attempts):
-        _max_attempts.return_value = 2
+    def test_populate_retry_exception_at_max_attempts(self):
+        self.flags(scheduler_max_attempts=2)
         msg = 'The exception text was preserved!'
         filter_properties = dict(retry=dict(num_attempts=2, hosts=[],
                                             exc_reason=[msg]))