diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/__init__.py b/ceilometer/storage/__init__.py
index f4c803f91..abfcf3dc7 100644
--- a/ceilometer/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/__init__.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class StorageBadAggregate(Exception):
     code = 400
 
 
-def get_connection_from_config(conf, purpose=None):
+def get_connection_from_config(conf, purpose='metering'):
     retries = conf.database.max_retries
 
     # Convert retry_interval secs to msecs for retry decorator
@@ -98,11 +98,9 @@ def get_connection_from_config(conf, purpose=None):
         if conf.database_connection:
             conf.set_override('connection', conf.database_connection,
                               group='database')
-        namespace = 'ceilometer.metering.storage'
-        url = conf.database.connection
-        if purpose:
-            namespace = 'ceilometer.%s.storage' % purpose
-            url = getattr(conf.database, '%s_connection' % purpose) or url
+        namespace = 'ceilometer.%s.storage' % purpose
+        url = (getattr(conf.database, '%s_connection' % purpose) or
+               conf.database.connection)
         return get_connection(url, namespace)
 
     return _inner()
diff --git a/ceilometer/tests/storage/test_get_connection.py b/ceilometer/tests/storage/test_get_connection.py
index f8d86036d..55439ebb0 100644
--- a/ceilometer/tests/storage/test_get_connection.py
+++ b/ceilometer/tests/storage/test_get_connection.py
@@ -100,6 +100,21 @@ class ConnectionConfigTest(base.BaseTestCase):
         conn = storage.get_connection_from_config(self.CONF, 'event')
         self.assertIsInstance(conn, impl_hbase_event.Connection)
 
+    def test_three_urls_no_default(self):
+        self.CONF.set_override("connection", None, group="database")
+        self.CONF.set_override("metering_connection", "log://",
+                               group="database")
+        self.CONF.set_override("alarm_connection", "sqlite://",
+                               group="database")
+        self.CONF.set_override("event_connection", "hbase://__test__",
+                               group="database")
+        conn = storage.get_connection_from_config(self.CONF)
+        self.assertIsInstance(conn, impl_log.Connection)
+        conn = storage.get_connection_from_config(self.CONF, 'alarm')
+        self.assertIsInstance(conn, impl_sqlalchemy_alarm.Connection)
+        conn = storage.get_connection_from_config(self.CONF, 'event')
+        self.assertIsInstance(conn, impl_hbase_event.Connection)
+
     def test_sqlalchemy_driver(self):
         self.CONF.set_override("connection", "sqlite+pysqlite://",
                                group="database")