diff --git a/aodh/storage/__init__.py b/aodh/storage/__init__.py
index 3388403a7..a3d6a0bae 100644
--- a/aodh/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/aodh/storage/__init__.py
@@ -77,21 +77,21 @@ class StorageBadAggregate(Exception):
 
 def get_connection_from_config(conf):
     retries = conf.database.max_retries
+    url = conf.database.connection
+    connection_scheme = urlparse.urlparse(url).scheme
+    # SQLAlchemy connections specify may specify a 'dialect' or
+    # 'dialect+driver'. Handle the case where driver is specified.
+    engine_name = connection_scheme.split('+')[0]
+    # NOTE: translation not applied bug #1446983
+    LOG.debug('looking for %(name)r driver in %(namespace)r',
+              {'name': engine_name, 'namespace': _NAMESPACE})
+    mgr = driver.DriverManager(_NAMESPACE, engine_name)
 
     # Convert retry_interval secs to msecs for retry decorator
     @retrying.retry(wait_fixed=conf.database.retry_interval * 1000,
                     stop_max_attempt_number=retries if retries >= 0 else None)
     def _get_connection():
         """Return an open connection to the database."""
-        url = conf.database.connection
-        connection_scheme = urlparse.urlparse(url).scheme
-        # SQLAlchemy connections specify may specify a 'dialect' or
-        # 'dialect+driver'. Handle the case where driver is specified.
-        engine_name = connection_scheme.split('+')[0]
-        # NOTE: translation not applied bug #1446983
-        LOG.debug('looking for %(name)r driver in %(namespace)r',
-                  {'name': engine_name, 'namespace': _NAMESPACE})
-        mgr = driver.DriverManager(_NAMESPACE, engine_name)
         return mgr.driver(conf, url)
 
     return _get_connection()
diff --git a/aodh/tests/storage/test_get_connection.py b/aodh/tests/storage/test_get_connection.py
index fb9ccd466..23924c147 100644
--- a/aodh/tests/storage/test_get_connection.py
+++ b/aodh/tests/storage/test_get_connection.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #
 # Copyright 2012 New Dream Network, LLC (DreamHost)
+# Copyright 2015 Red Hat, Inc.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
 # not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
@@ -56,12 +57,20 @@ class ConnectionRetryTest(base.BaseTestCase):
 
     def test_retries(self):
         with mock.patch.object(retrying.time, 'sleep') as retry_sleep:
-            try:
-                self.CONF.set_override("connection", "no-such-engine://",
-                                       group="database")
-                storage.get_connection_from_config(self.CONF)
-            except RuntimeError as err:
-                self.assertIn('no-such-engine', six.text_type(err))
+            with mock.patch.object(
+                    storage.impl_log.Connection, '__init__') as log_init:
+
+                class ConnectionError(Exception):
+                    pass
+
+                def x(a, b):
+                    raise ConnectionError
+
+                log_init.side_effect = x
+                self.CONF.set_override("connection", "log://", "database")
+                self.assertRaises(ConnectionError,
+                                  storage.get_connection_from_config,
+                                  self.CONF)
                 self.assertEqual(9, retry_sleep.call_count)
                 retry_sleep.assert_called_with(10.0)