diff --git a/nova/image/glance.py b/nova/image/glance.py
index a5f9e6865f0c..97a60cb78fc2 100644
--- a/nova/image/glance.py
+++ b/nova/image/glance.py
@@ -111,13 +111,13 @@ def get_glance_client(context, image_href):
 
     else:
         try:
-            (image_id, host, port) = _parse_image_ref(image_href)
+            (image_id, glance_host, glance_port) = _parse_image_ref(image_href)
+            glance_client = _create_glance_client(context,
+                                                  glance_host,
+                                                  glance_port)
         except ValueError:
             raise exception.InvalidImageRef(image_href=image_href)
 
-        glance_client = _create_glance_client(context,
-                                              glance_host,
-                                              glance_port)
         return (glance_client, image_id)
 
 
diff --git a/nova/tests/image/test_glance.py b/nova/tests/image/test_glance.py
index bc5969a4516b..8fa136aad853 100644
--- a/nova/tests/image/test_glance.py
+++ b/nova/tests/image/test_glance.py
@@ -578,6 +578,7 @@ class TestGlanceImageService(test.TestCase):
     def test_glance_client_image_ref(self):
         fixture = self._make_fixture(name='test image')
         image_id = self.service.create(self.context, fixture)['id']
-        image_url = 'http://foo/%s' % image_id
+        image_url = 'http://something-less-likely/%s' % image_id
         client, same_id = glance.get_glance_client(self.context, image_url)
         self.assertEquals(same_id, image_id)
+        self.assertEquals(client.host, 'something-less-likely')