diff --git a/neutron/plugins/ibm/agent/sdnve_neutron_agent.py b/neutron/plugins/ibm/agent/sdnve_neutron_agent.py
index 0abd1d7bf2..d6f559dbed 100644
--- a/neutron/plugins/ibm/agent/sdnve_neutron_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/plugins/ibm/agent/sdnve_neutron_agent.py
@@ -142,9 +142,7 @@ class SdnveNeutronAgent(object):
         if self.int_br and new_controller:
             LOG.debug("info_update received. New controller"
                       "is to be set to: %s", new_controller)
-            self.int_br.run_vsctl(["set-controller",
-                                   self.int_bridge_name,
-                                   "tcp:" + new_controller])
+            self.int_br.set_controller(["tcp:" + new_controller])
             if out_of_band:
                 LOG.debug("info_update received. New controller"
                           "is set to be out of band")
@@ -175,8 +173,7 @@ class SdnveNeutronAgent(object):
 
         # set the controller
         if controller_ip:
-            int_br.run_vsctl(
-                ["set-controller", bridge_name, "tcp:" + controller_ip])
+            int_br.set_controller(["tcp:" + controller_ip])
         if out_of_band:
             int_br.set_db_attribute("controller", bridge_name,
                                     "connection-mode", "out-of-band")
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/ibm/test_sdnve_agent.py b/neutron/tests/unit/ibm/test_sdnve_agent.py
index c1c9f95ed7..c701bc4a9b 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/ibm/test_sdnve_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/ibm/test_sdnve_agent.py
@@ -96,13 +96,11 @@ class TestSdnveNeutronAgent(base.BaseTestCase):
 
     def test_get_info_set_controller(self):
         with mock.patch.object(self.agent.int_br,
-                               'run_vsctl') as run_vsctl_func:
+                               'set_controller') as set_controller_func:
             kwargs = {}
             kwargs['info'] = {'new_controller': '10.10.10.1'}
             self.agent.info_update('dummy', **kwargs)
-        run_vsctl_func.assert_called_once_with(['set-controller',
-                                                'br_int',
-                                                'tcp:10.10.10.1'])
+        set_controller_func.assert_called_once_with(['tcp:10.10.10.1'])
 
     def test_get_info(self):
         with mock.patch.object(self.agent.int_br,