diff --git a/ceilometer/compute/pollsters/util.py b/ceilometer/compute/pollsters/util.py
index 2e4615944..a8aea437b 100644
--- a/ceilometer/compute/pollsters/util.py
+++ b/ceilometer/compute/pollsters/util.py
@@ -45,16 +45,21 @@ def _get_metadata_from_object(instance):
         'host': instance.hostId,
         'flavor': instance.flavor,
         'status': instance.status.lower(),
-        # Image properties
-        'image': instance.image,
-        'image_ref': (instance.image['id'] if instance.image else None),
     }
 
-    # Images that come through the conductor API in the nova notifier
-    # plugin will not have links.
-    if instance.image and instance.image.get('links'):
-        metadata['image_ref_url'] = instance.image['links'][0]['href']
+    # Image properties
+    if instance.image:
+        metadata['image'] = instance.image
+        metadata['image_ref'] = instance.image['id']
+        # Images that come through the conductor API in the nova notifier
+        # plugin will not have links.
+        if instance.image.get('links'):
+            metadata['image_ref_url'] = instance.image['links'][0]['href']
+        else:
+            metadata['image_ref_url'] = None
     else:
+        metadata['image'] = None
+        metadata['image_ref'] = None
         metadata['image_ref_url'] = None
 
     for name in INSTANCE_PROPERTIES:
diff --git a/ceilometer/tests/compute/pollsters/test_location_metadata.py b/ceilometer/tests/compute/pollsters/test_location_metadata.py
index 5958de250..638b7148e 100644
--- a/ceilometer/tests/compute/pollsters/test_location_metadata.py
+++ b/ceilometer/tests/compute/pollsters/test_location_metadata.py
@@ -99,8 +99,17 @@ class TestLocationMetadata(test.BaseTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(1, len(user_metadata))
 
     def test_metadata_empty_image(self):
-        self.INSTANCE_PROPERTIES['image'] = ''
+        self.INSTANCE_PROPERTIES['image'] = None
         self.instance = FauxInstance(**self.INSTANCE_PROPERTIES)
         md = util._get_metadata_from_object(self.instance)
+        self.assertIsNone(md['image'])
         self.assertIsNone(md['image_ref'])
         self.assertIsNone(md['image_ref_url'])
+
+    def test_metadata_image_through_conductor(self):
+        # There should be no links here, should default to None
+        self.INSTANCE_PROPERTIES['image'] = {'id': 1}
+        self.instance = FauxInstance(**self.INSTANCE_PROPERTIES)
+        md = util._get_metadata_from_object(self.instance)
+        self.assertEqual(1, md['image_ref'])
+        self.assertIsNone(md['image_ref_url'])