diff --git a/nova/objects/base.py b/nova/objects/base.py
index 6837066cbddd..ce4df5b512f8 100644
--- a/nova/objects/base.py
+++ b/nova/objects/base.py
@@ -938,15 +938,15 @@ def obj_make_list(context, list_obj, item_cls, db_list, **extra_args):
 def serialize_args(fn):
     """Decorator that will do the arguments serialization before remoting."""
     def wrapper(obj, *args, **kwargs):
-        for kw in kwargs:
-            value_arg = kwargs.get(kw)
-            if kw == 'exc_val' and value_arg:
-                kwargs[kw] = str(value_arg)
-            elif kw == 'exc_tb' and (
-                    not isinstance(value_arg, six.string_types) and value_arg):
-                kwargs[kw] = ''.join(traceback.format_tb(value_arg))
-            elif isinstance(value_arg, datetime.datetime):
-                kwargs[kw] = timeutils.isotime(value_arg)
+        args = [timeutils.strtime(at=arg) if isinstance(arg, datetime.datetime)
+                else arg for arg in args]
+        for k, v in kwargs.iteritems():
+            if k == 'exc_val' and v:
+                kwargs[k] = str(v)
+            elif k == 'exc_tb' and v and not isinstance(v, six.string_types):
+                kwargs[k] = ''.join(traceback.format_tb(v))
+            elif isinstance(v, datetime.datetime):
+                kwargs[k] = timeutils.strtime(at=v)
         if hasattr(fn, '__call__'):
             return fn(obj, *args, **kwargs)
         # NOTE(danms): We wrap a descriptor, so use that protocol
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py b/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py
index 13b8dc8ad53a..37be4d29a0ff 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py
@@ -1193,6 +1193,28 @@ class TestObjectSerializer(_BaseTestCase):
         self.assertIsInstance(thing2['foo'], base.NovaObject)
 
 
+class TestArgsSerializer(test.NoDBTestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(TestArgsSerializer, self).setUp()
+        self.now = timeutils.utcnow()
+        self.str_now = timeutils.strtime(at=self.now)
+
+    @base.serialize_args
+    def _test_serialize_args(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        expected_args = ('untouched', self.str_now, self.str_now)
+        for index, val in enumerate(args):
+            self.assertEqual(expected_args[index], val)
+
+        expected_kwargs = {'a': 'untouched', 'b': self.str_now,
+                           'c': self.str_now}
+        for key, val in kwargs.iteritems():
+            self.assertEqual(expected_kwargs[key], val)
+
+    def test_serialize_args(self):
+        self._test_serialize_args('untouched', self.now, self.now,
+                                  a='untouched', b=self.now, c=self.now)
+
+
 # NOTE(danms): The hashes in this list should only be changed if
 # they come with a corresponding version bump in the affected
 # objects