diff --git a/nova/tests/test_api.py b/nova/tests/test_api.py
index fa27825c..d5c54a1c 100644
--- a/nova/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/nova/tests/test_api.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 import boto
 from boto.ec2 import regioninfo
+import datetime
 import httplib
 import random
 import StringIO
@@ -127,6 +128,28 @@ class ApiEc2TestCase(test.TestCase):
         self.ec2.new_http_connection(host, is_secure).AndReturn(self.http)
         return self.http
 
+    def test_return_valid_isoformat(self):
+        """
+            Ensure that the ec2 api returns datetime in xs:dateTime
+            (which apparently isn't datetime.isoformat())
+            NOTE(ken-pepple): https://bugs.launchpad.net/nova/+bug/721297
+        """
+        conv = apirequest._database_to_isoformat
+        # sqlite database representation with microseconds
+        time_to_convert = datetime.datetime.strptime(
+                            "2011-02-21 20:14:10.634276",
+                            "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%f")
+        self.assertEqual(
+                        conv(time_to_convert),
+                        '2011-02-21T20:14:10Z')
+        # mysqlite database representation
+        time_to_convert = datetime.datetime.strptime(
+                            "2011-02-21 19:56:18",
+                            "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
+        self.assertEqual(
+                        conv(time_to_convert),
+                        '2011-02-21T19:56:18Z')
+
     def test_xmlns_version_matches_request_version(self):
         self.expect_http(api_version='2010-10-30')
         self.mox.ReplayAll()