diff --git a/swift/account/backend.py b/swift/account/backend.py
index 3ff42518d2..ec28394626 100644
--- a/swift/account/backend.py
+++ b/swift/account/backend.py
@@ -460,6 +460,7 @@ class AccountBroker(DatabaseBroker):
             max_rowid = -1
             curs = conn.cursor()
             for rec in item_list:
+                rec.setdefault('storage_policy_index', 0)  # legacy
                 record = [rec['name'], rec['put_timestamp'],
                           rec['delete_timestamp'], rec['object_count'],
                           rec['bytes_used'], rec['deleted'],
diff --git a/test/unit/account/test_backend.py b/test/unit/account/test_backend.py
index d231fea741..d262689e87 100644
--- a/test/unit/account/test_backend.py
+++ b/test/unit/account/test_backend.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import random
 
 from swift.account.backend import AccountBroker
 from swift.common.utils import Timestamp
-from test.unit import patch_policies, with_tempdir
+from test.unit import patch_policies, with_tempdir, make_timestamp_iter
 from swift.common.db import DatabaseConnectionError
 from swift.common.storage_policy import StoragePolicy, POLICIES
 
@@ -1120,6 +1120,45 @@ class TestAccountBrokerBeforeSPI(TestAccountBroker):
             conn.execute('SELECT * FROM policy_stat')
             conn.execute('SELECT storage_policy_index FROM container')
 
+    @with_tempdir
+    def test_pre_storage_policy_replication(self, tempdir):
+        ts = make_timestamp_iter()
+
+        # make and two account database "replicas"
+        old_broker = AccountBroker(os.path.join(tempdir, 'old_account.db'),
+                                   account='a')
+        old_broker.initialize(ts.next().internal)
+        new_broker = AccountBroker(os.path.join(tempdir, 'new_account.db'),
+                                   account='a')
+        new_broker.initialize(ts.next().internal)
+
+        # manually insert an existing row to avoid migration for old database
+        with old_broker.get() as conn:
+            conn.execute('''
+                INSERT INTO container (name, put_timestamp,
+                    delete_timestamp, object_count, bytes_used,
+                    deleted)
+                VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+            ''', ('test_name', ts.next().internal, 0, 1, 2, 0))
+            conn.commit()
+
+        # get replication info and rows form old database
+        info = old_broker.get_info()
+        rows = old_broker.get_items_since(0, 10)
+
+        # "send" replication rows to new database
+        new_broker.merge_items(rows, info['id'])
+
+        # make sure "test_name" container in new database
+        self.assertEqual(new_broker.get_info()['container_count'], 1)
+        for c in new_broker.list_containers_iter(1, None, None, None, None):
+            self.assertEqual(c, ('test_name', 1, 2, 0))
+
+        # full migration successful
+        with new_broker.get() as conn:
+            conn.execute('SELECT * FROM policy_stat')
+            conn.execute('SELECT storage_policy_index FROM container')
+
 
 def pre_track_containers_create_policy_stat(self, conn):
     """