diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/storage/test_rbd.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/storage/test_rbd.py
index 9e940876cc..1ebc50abb8 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/storage/test_rbd.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/storage/test_rbd.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class RbdTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
                      'rbd://fsid/pool/image/',
                      'rbd://fsid/pool/image/snap/',
                      'rbd://///', ]
-        image_meta = objects.ImageMeta.from_dict({'disk_format': 'raw'})
+        image_meta = {'disk_format': 'raw'}
 
         for loc in locations:
             self.assertRaises(exception.ImageUnacceptable,
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class RbdTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
     def test_cloneable(self, mock_rados, mock_rbd, mock_get_fsid):
         mock_get_fsid.return_value = 'abc'
         location = {'url': 'rbd://abc/pool/image/snap'}
-        image_meta = objects.ImageMeta.from_dict({'disk_format': 'raw'})
+        image_meta = {'disk_format': 'raw'}
         self.assertTrue(self.driver.is_cloneable(location, image_meta))
         self.assertTrue(mock_get_fsid.called)
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class RbdTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
     def test_uncloneable_different_fsid(self, mock_get_fsid):
         mock_get_fsid.return_value = 'abc'
         location = {'url': 'rbd://def/pool/image/snap'}
-        image_meta = objects.ImageMeta.from_dict({'disk_format': 'raw'})
+        image_meta = {'disk_format': 'raw'}
         self.assertFalse(
             self.driver.is_cloneable(location, image_meta))
         self.assertTrue(mock_get_fsid.called)
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class RbdTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         location = {'url': 'rbd://abc/pool/image/snap'}
 
         mock_proxy.side_effect = mock_rbd.Error
-        image_meta = objects.ImageMeta.from_dict({'disk_format': 'raw'})
+        image_meta = {'disk_format': 'raw'}
 
         self.assertFalse(
             self.driver.is_cloneable(location, image_meta))
@@ -147,11 +147,20 @@ class RbdTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         location = {'url': 'rbd://abc/pool/image/snap'}
         formats = ['qcow2', 'vmdk', 'vdi']
         for f in formats:
-            image_meta = objects.ImageMeta.from_dict({'disk_format': f})
+            image_meta = {'disk_format': f}
             self.assertFalse(
                 self.driver.is_cloneable(location, image_meta))
         self.assertTrue(mock_get_fsid.called)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(rbd_utils.RBDDriver, '_get_fsid')
+    def test_uncloneable_missing_format(self, mock_get_fsid):
+        mock_get_fsid.return_value = 'abc'
+        location = {'url': 'rbd://abc/pool/image/snap'}
+        image_meta = {}
+        self.assertFalse(
+            self.driver.is_cloneable(location, image_meta))
+        self.assertTrue(mock_get_fsid.called)
+
     @mock.patch.object(utils, 'execute')
     def test_get_mon_addrs(self, mock_execute):
         mock_execute.return_value = (CEPH_MON_DUMP, '')
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/storage/rbd_utils.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/storage/rbd_utils.py
index ca5c71dab7..8564181100 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/storage/rbd_utils.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/storage/rbd_utils.py
@@ -190,10 +190,10 @@ class RBDDriver(object):
             LOG.debug(reason)
             return False
 
-        if image_meta.disk_format != 'raw':
+        if image_meta.get('disk_format') != 'raw':
             reason = ("rbd image clone requires image format to be "
                       "'raw' but image {0} is '{1}'").format(
-                          url, image_meta.disk_format)
+                          url, image_meta.get('disk_format'))
             LOG.debug(reason)
             return False