diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/impl_mongodb.py b/ceilometer/storage/impl_mongodb.py
index b6b81e866..84a0eea6e 100644
--- a/ceilometer/storage/impl_mongodb.py
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/impl_mongodb.py
@@ -191,14 +191,14 @@ class Connection(base.Connection):
             self.db.resource.ensure_index([
                     (primary, pymongo.ASCENDING),
                     ('source', pymongo.ASCENDING),
-                    ])
+                    ], name='resource_idx')
             self.db.meter.ensure_index([
                     ('resource_id', pymongo.ASCENDING),
                     (primary, pymongo.ASCENDING),
                     ('counter_name', pymongo.ASCENDING),
                     ('timestamp', pymongo.ASCENDING),
                     ('source', pymongo.ASCENDING),
-                    ])
+                    ], name='meter_idx')
         return
 
     def _get_connection(self, opts):
diff --git a/tests/storage/test_impl_mongodb.py b/tests/storage/test_impl_mongodb.py
index 513899bcf..454278eb3 100644
--- a/tests/storage/test_impl_mongodb.py
+++ b/tests/storage/test_impl_mongodb.py
@@ -141,6 +141,14 @@ class MongoDBEngineTestBase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.conn.drop_database(self.DBNAME)
 
 
+class IndexTest(MongoDBEngineTestBase):
+
+    def test_indexes_exist(self):
+        # ensure_index returns none if index already exists
+        assert not self.db.resource.ensure_index('foo', name='resource_idx')
+        assert not self.db.meter.ensure_index('foo', name='meter_idx')
+
+
 class UserTest(MongoDBEngineTestBase):
 
     def test_new_user(self):