diff --git a/tempest/test_discover/plugins.py b/tempest/test_discover/plugins.py
index eb50126904..f8d5d9de2a 100644
--- a/tempest/test_discover/plugins.py
+++ b/tempest/test_discover/plugins.py
@@ -157,8 +157,10 @@ class TempestTestPluginManager(object):
         registry = clients.ClientsRegistry()
         for plug in self.ext_plugins:
             try:
-                registry.register_service_client(
-                    plug.name, plug.obj.get_service_clients())
+                service_clients = plug.obj.get_service_clients()
+                if service_clients:
+                    registry.register_service_client(
+                        plug.name, service_clients)
             except Exception:
                 LOG.exception('Plugin %s raised an exception trying to run '
                               'get_service_clients' % plug.name)
diff --git a/tempest/tests/test_tempest_plugin.py b/tempest/tests/test_tempest_plugin.py
index dd50125b68..13e249937b 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/test_tempest_plugin.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/test_tempest_plugin.py
@@ -75,7 +75,5 @@ class TestPluginDiscovery(base.TestCase):
         fake_obj = fake_plugin.FakeStevedoreObjNoServiceClients()
         manager.ext_plugins = [fake_obj]
         manager._register_service_clients()
-        expected_result = []
         registered_clients = registry.get_service_clients()
-        self.assertIn(fake_obj.name, registered_clients)
-        self.assertEqual(expected_result, registered_clients[fake_obj.name])
+        self.assertNotIn(fake_obj.name, registered_clients)