diff --git a/nova/scheduler/zone_manager.py b/nova/scheduler/zone_manager.py
index 0974f271..a6bbc2eb 100644
--- a/nova/scheduler/zone_manager.py
+++ b/nova/scheduler/zone_manager.py
@@ -68,22 +68,27 @@ class ZoneState(object):
            marked as offline."""
         self.last_exception = exception
         self.last_exception_time = datetime.now()
-        logging.warning(_("%s error talking to zone %s") % (exception,
-            zone.api_url, FLAGS.zone_failures_to_offline))
+        logging.warning(_("'%s' error talking to zone %s") % (exception,
+            self.api_url))
 
         self.attempt += 1
         if self.attempt >= FLAGS.zone_failures_to_offline:
            self.is_active = False
            logging.error(_("No answer from zone %s after %d "
-               "attempts. Marking inactive.") % (zone.api_url,
+               "attempts. Marking inactive.") % (self.api_url,
                FLAGS.zone_failures_to_offline))
 
+
+def _call_novatools(zone):
+    """Call novatools. Broken out for testing purposes."""
+    os = novatools.OpenStack(zone.username, zone.password, zone.api_url)
+    return os.zones.info()._info
+
 def _poll_zone(zone):
     """Eventlet worker to poll a zone."""
     logging.debug("_POLL_ZONE: STARTING")
-    os = novatools.OpenStack(zone.username, zone.password, zone.api_url)
     try:
-        zone.update_metadata(os.zones.info()._info)
+        zone.update_metadata(_call_novatools(zone))
     except Exception, e:
         zone.log_error(e)
 
diff --git a/nova/tests/test_zones.py b/nova/tests/test_zones.py
index b4c8815d..2cb070ac 100644
--- a/nova/tests/test_zones.py
+++ b/nova/tests/test_zones.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Tests For ZoneManager
 
 import datetime
 import mox
+import novatools
 
 from nova import context
 from nova import db
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ from nova import utils
 from nova.auth import manager as auth_manager
 from nova.scheduler import zone_manager
 
+FLAGS = flags.FLAGS
+
 
 class FakeZone:
     """Represents a fake zone from the db"""
@@ -38,6 +41,11 @@ class FakeZone:
             setattr(self, k, v)
 
 
+def exploding_novatools(zone):
+    """Used when we want to simulate a novatools call failing."""
+    raise Exception("kaboom")
+
+
 class ZoneManagerTestCase(test.TestCase):
     """Test case for zone manager"""
     def test_ping(self):
@@ -130,3 +138,36 @@ class ZoneManagerTestCase(test.TestCase):
 
         self.assertEquals(len(zm.zone_states), 1)
         self.assertEquals(zm.zone_states[2].username, 'user2')
+
+    def test_poll_zone(self):
+        self.mox.StubOutWithMock(zone_manager, '_call_novatools')
+        zone_manager._call_novatools(mox.IgnoreArg()).AndReturn(
+                        dict(name='zohan', capabilities='hairdresser'))
+
+        zone_state = zone_manager.ZoneState()
+        zone_state.update_credentials(FakeZone(id=2,
+                       api_url='http://foo.com', username='user2',
+                       password='pass2'))
+        zone_state.attempt = 1
+
+        self.mox.ReplayAll()
+        zone_manager._poll_zone(zone_state)
+        self.mox.VerifyAll()
+        self.assertEquals(zone_state.attempt, 0)
+        self.assertEquals(zone_state.name, 'zohan')
+
+    def test_poll_zone_fails(self):
+        self.stubs.Set(zone_manager, "_call_novatools", exploding_novatools)
+
+        zone_state = zone_manager.ZoneState()
+        zone_state.update_credentials(FakeZone(id=2,
+                       api_url='http://foo.com', username='user2',
+                       password='pass2'))
+        zone_state.attempt = FLAGS.zone_failures_to_offline - 1
+
+        self.mox.ReplayAll()
+        zone_manager._poll_zone(zone_state)
+        self.mox.VerifyAll()
+        self.assertEquals(zone_state.attempt, 3)
+        self.assertFalse(zone_state.is_active)
+        self.assertEquals(zone_state.name, None)