diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/virtual_interfaces.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/virtual_interfaces.py
index a891ce674151..d071df461ea0 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/virtual_interfaces.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/virtual_interfaces.py
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ class ServerVirtualInterfaceController(object):
     def _items(self, req, server_id, entity_maker):
         """Returns a list of VIFs, transformed through entity_maker."""
         context = req.environ['nova.context']
-        instance = common.get_instance(self.compute_api, context, server_id)
+        instance = common.get_instance(self.compute_api, context, server_id,
+                                       want_objects=True)
 
         vifs = self.network_api.get_vifs_by_instance(context, instance)
         limited_list = common.limited(vifs, req)
diff --git a/nova/network/api.py b/nova/network/api.py
index a8ef7b294b4c..13cd114d54fe 100644
--- a/nova/network/api.py
+++ b/nova/network/api.py
@@ -143,23 +143,23 @@ class API(base_api.NetworkAPI):
 
     @wrap_check_policy
     def get_vifs_by_instance(self, context, instance):
-        vifs = self.db.virtual_interface_get_by_instance(context,
-                                                         instance['uuid'])
+        vifs = objects.VirtualInterfaceList.get_by_instance_uuid(context,
+                                                                 instance.uuid)
         for vif in vifs:
-            if vif.get('network_id') is not None:
-                network = objects.Network.get_by_id(context, vif['network_id'],
+            if vif.network_id is not None:
+                network = objects.Network.get_by_id(context, vif.network_id,
                                                     project_only='allow_none')
-                vif['net_uuid'] = network.uuid
+                vif.net_uuid = network.uuid
         return vifs
 
     @wrap_check_policy
     def get_vif_by_mac_address(self, context, mac_address):
-        vif = self.db.virtual_interface_get_by_address(context,
-                                                       mac_address)
-        if vif.get('network_id') is not None:
-            network = objects.Network.get_by_id(context, vif['network_id'],
+        vif = objects.VirtualInterface.get_by_address(context,
+                                                      mac_address)
+        if vif.network_id is not None:
+            network = objects.Network.get_by_id(context, vif.network_id,
                                                 project_only='allow_none')
-            vif['net_uuid'] = network.uuid
+            vif.net_uuid = network.uuid
         return vif
 
     @wrap_check_policy
diff --git a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/contrib/test_virtual_interfaces.py b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/contrib/test_virtual_interfaces.py
index 59947e592209..a14e312cc9a8 100644
--- a/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/contrib/test_virtual_interfaces.py
+++ b/nova/tests/api/openstack/compute/contrib/test_virtual_interfaces.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class ServerVirtualInterfaceTest(test.NoDBTestCase):
 
         compute_api.API.get(fake_context, 'fake_uuid',
                             expected_attrs=None,
-                            want_objects=False).AndRaise(
+                            want_objects=True).AndRaise(
             exception.InstanceNotFound(instance_id='instance-0000'))
 
         self.mox.ReplayAll()
diff --git a/nova/tests/network/test_api.py b/nova/tests/network/test_api.py
index 5b2c76437a50..273b2d7415f9 100644
--- a/nova/tests/network/test_api.py
+++ b/nova/tests/network/test_api.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ from nova import test
 from nova.tests import fake_instance
 from nova.tests.objects import test_fixed_ip
 from nova.tests.objects import test_flavor
+from nova.tests.objects import test_virtual_interface
 from nova import utils
 
 FAKE_UUID = 'a47ae74e-ab08-547f-9eee-ffd23fc46c16'
@@ -103,39 +104,36 @@ class ApiTestCase(test.TestCase):
     def test_get_vifs_by_instance(self, mock_get_by_instance,
                                   mock_get_by_id):
         mock_get_by_instance.return_value = [
-            {'network_id': mock.sentinel.network_id}]
+            dict(test_virtual_interface.fake_vif,
+                 network_id=123)]
         mock_get_by_id.return_value = objects.Network()
         mock_get_by_id.return_value.uuid = mock.sentinel.network_uuid
         instance = objects.Instance(uuid=mock.sentinel.inst_uuid)
         vifs = self.network_api.get_vifs_by_instance(self.context,
                                                      instance)
         self.assertEqual(1, len(vifs))
-        self.assertEqual({'network_id': mock.sentinel.network_id,
-                          'net_uuid': str(mock.sentinel.network_uuid)},
-                         vifs[0])
+        self.assertEqual(123, vifs[0].network_id)
+        self.assertEqual(str(mock.sentinel.network_uuid), vifs[0].net_uuid)
         mock_get_by_instance.assert_called_once_with(
-            self.context, str(mock.sentinel.inst_uuid))
-        mock_get_by_id.assert_called_once_with(self.context,
-                                               mock.sentinel.network_id,
+            self.context, str(mock.sentinel.inst_uuid), use_slave=False)
+        mock_get_by_id.assert_called_once_with(self.context, 123,
                                                project_only='allow_none')
 
     @mock.patch('nova.objects.Network.get_by_id')
     @mock.patch('nova.db.virtual_interface_get_by_address')
     def test_get_vif_by_mac_address(self, mock_get_by_address,
                                     mock_get_by_id):
-        mock_get_by_address.return_value = {
-            'network_id': mock.sentinel.network_id}
+        mock_get_by_address.return_value = dict(
+            test_virtual_interface.fake_vif, network_id=123)
         mock_get_by_id.return_value = objects.Network(
             uuid=mock.sentinel.network_uuid)
         vif = self.network_api.get_vif_by_mac_address(self.context,
                                                       mock.sentinel.mac)
-        self.assertEqual({'network_id': mock.sentinel.network_id,
-                          'net_uuid': str(mock.sentinel.network_uuid)},
-                         vif)
+        self.assertEqual(123, vif.network_id)
+        self.assertEqual(str(mock.sentinel.network_uuid), vif.net_uuid)
         mock_get_by_address.assert_called_once_with(self.context,
                                                     mock.sentinel.mac)
-        mock_get_by_id.assert_called_once_with(self.context,
-                                               mock.sentinel.network_id,
+        mock_get_by_id.assert_called_once_with(self.context, 123,
                                                project_only='allow_none')
 
     def test_allocate_for_instance_handles_macs_passed(self):