diff --git a/nova/compute/manager.py b/nova/compute/manager.py
index 51b2818f3c44..4d0a73544c76 100644
--- a/nova/compute/manager.py
+++ b/nova/compute/manager.py
@@ -860,10 +860,8 @@ class ComputeManager(manager.Manager):
             # again, then we've just become a hard reboot. That means the
             # task state for the instance needs to change so that we're in one
             # of the expected task states for a hard reboot.
-            soft_types = [task_states.REBOOT_STARTED,
-                          task_states.REBOOT_PENDING,
-                          task_states.REBOOTING]
-            if instance.task_state in soft_types and reboot_type == 'HARD':
+            if (instance.task_state in task_states.soft_reboot_states and
+                reboot_type == 'HARD'):
                 instance.task_state = task_states.REBOOT_PENDING_HARD
                 instance.save()
 
@@ -3017,14 +3015,11 @@ class ComputeManager(manager.Manager):
         # acknowledge the request made it to the manager
         if reboot_type == "SOFT":
             instance.task_state = task_states.REBOOT_PENDING
-            expected_states = (task_states.REBOOTING,
-                               task_states.REBOOT_PENDING,
-                               task_states.REBOOT_STARTED)
+            expected_states = task_states.soft_reboot_states
         else:
             instance.task_state = task_states.REBOOT_PENDING_HARD
-            expected_states = (task_states.REBOOTING_HARD,
-                               task_states.REBOOT_PENDING_HARD,
-                               task_states.REBOOT_STARTED_HARD)
+            expected_states = task_states.hard_reboot_states
+
         context = context.elevated()
         LOG.info("Rebooting instance", instance=instance)
 
diff --git a/nova/compute/task_states.py b/nova/compute/task_states.py
index 2b793aebb3bf..b247d8696ffd 100644
--- a/nova/compute/task_states.py
+++ b/nova/compute/task_states.py
@@ -119,3 +119,7 @@ UNSHELVING = fields.InstanceTaskState.UNSHELVING
 
 ALLOW_REBOOT = [None, REBOOTING, REBOOT_PENDING, REBOOT_STARTED, RESUMING,
                 REBOOTING_HARD, UNPAUSING, PAUSING, SUSPENDING]
+
+# These states indicate a reboot
+soft_reboot_states = (REBOOTING, REBOOT_PENDING, REBOOT_STARTED)
+hard_reboot_states = (REBOOTING_HARD, REBOOT_PENDING_HARD, REBOOT_STARTED_HARD)
diff --git a/nova/compute/utils.py b/nova/compute/utils.py
index d89ed1863c5b..529647ac7516 100644
--- a/nova/compute/utils.py
+++ b/nova/compute/utils.py
@@ -601,10 +601,9 @@ def get_reboot_type(task_state, current_power_state):
     """Checks if the current instance state requires a HARD reboot."""
     if current_power_state != power_state.RUNNING:
         return 'HARD'
-    soft_types = [task_states.REBOOT_STARTED, task_states.REBOOT_PENDING,
-                  task_states.REBOOTING]
-    reboot_type = 'SOFT' if task_state in soft_types else 'HARD'
-    return reboot_type
+    if task_state in task_states.soft_reboot_states:
+        return 'SOFT'
+    return 'HARD'
 
 
 def get_machine_ips():