diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/security_groups.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/security_groups.py
index b8ff34b52a74..9907a50d34dd 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/security_groups.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/security_groups.py
@@ -527,10 +527,10 @@ class SecurityGroups(extensions.V21APIExtensionBase):
     def server_create(self, server_dict, create_kwargs, body_deprecated_param):
         security_groups = server_dict.get(ATTRIBUTE_NAME)
         if security_groups is not None:
-            create_kwargs['security_group'] = [
+            create_kwargs['security_groups'] = [
                 sg['name'] for sg in security_groups if sg.get('name')]
-            create_kwargs['security_group'] = list(
-                set(create_kwargs['security_group']))
+            create_kwargs['security_groups'] = list(
+                set(create_kwargs['security_groups']))
 
     def get_server_create_schema(self, version):
         if version == '2.0':
diff --git a/nova/cloudpipe/pipelib.py b/nova/cloudpipe/pipelib.py
index 073c013d639f..8cbb1c329001 100644
--- a/nova/cloudpipe/pipelib.py
+++ b/nova/cloudpipe/pipelib.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class CloudPipe(object):
                                        display_name=instance_name,
                                        user_data=user_data,
                                        key_name=key_name,
-                                       security_group=[group_name])
+                                       security_groups=[group_name])
 
     def setup_security_group(self, context):
         group_name = '%s%s' % (context.project_id,
diff --git a/nova/compute/api.py b/nova/compute/api.py
index 4f3471540074..6c5cae22c936 100644
--- a/nova/compute/api.py
+++ b/nova/compute/api.py
@@ -1481,7 +1481,7 @@ class API(base.Base):
                image_href, kernel_id=None, ramdisk_id=None,
                min_count=None, max_count=None,
                display_name=None, display_description=None,
-               key_name=None, key_data=None, security_group=None,
+               key_name=None, key_data=None, security_groups=None,
                availability_zone=None, forced_host=None, forced_node=None,
                user_data=None, metadata=None, injected_files=None,
                admin_password=None, block_device_mapping=None,
@@ -1518,7 +1518,7 @@ class API(base.Base):
                        image_href, kernel_id, ramdisk_id,
                        min_count, max_count,
                        display_name, display_description,
-                       key_name, key_data, security_group,
+                       key_name, key_data, security_groups,
                        availability_zone, user_data, metadata,
                        injected_files, admin_password,
                        access_ip_v4, access_ip_v6,
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/compute/test_serversV21.py b/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/compute/test_serversV21.py
index 278188b5765c..091e84bcda07 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/compute/test_serversV21.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/compute/test_serversV21.py
@@ -2705,7 +2705,7 @@ class ServersControllerCreateTest(test.TestCase):
                   'security_groups': [{'name': '  sg  '}]}
 
         def fake_create(*args, **kwargs):
-            self.assertEqual(['  sg  '], kwargs['security_group'])
+            self.assertEqual(['  sg  '], kwargs['security_groups'])
             return (objects.InstanceList(objects=[fakes.stub_instance_obj(
                 self.req.environ['nova.context'])]), None)
 
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py
index 861e6b1077b4..8162ef5380a3 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py
@@ -7743,7 +7743,7 @@ class ComputeAPITestCase(BaseTestCase):
                 self.context,
                 instance_type=flavors.get_default_flavor(),
                 image_href=uuids.image_href_id,
-                security_group=['testgroup'])
+                security_groups=['testgroup'])
 
         groups_for_instance = db.security_group_get_by_instance(
                          self.context, ref[0]['uuid'])
@@ -7763,7 +7763,7 @@ class ComputeAPITestCase(BaseTestCase):
                           self.context,
                           instance_type=instance_type,
                           image_href=None,
-                          security_group=['this_is_a_fake_sec_group'])
+                          security_groups=['this_is_a_fake_sec_group'])
         self.assertEqual(pre_build_len,
                          len(db.instance_get_all(self.context)))
 
@@ -7902,7 +7902,7 @@ class ComputeAPITestCase(BaseTestCase):
                 self.context,
                 instance_type=flavors.get_default_flavor(),
                 image_href=uuids.image_href_id,
-                security_group=['testgroup'])
+                security_groups=['testgroup'])
 
         db.instance_destroy(self.context, ref[0]['uuid'])
         group = db.security_group_get(self.context, group['id'],
@@ -7917,7 +7917,7 @@ class ComputeAPITestCase(BaseTestCase):
                 self.context,
                 instance_type=flavors.get_default_flavor(),
                 image_href=uuids.image_href_id,
-                security_group=['testgroup'])
+                security_groups=['testgroup'])
 
         db.security_group_destroy(self.context, group['id'])
         admin_deleted_context = context.get_admin_context(