diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/servers.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/servers.py
index c813152153f5..b075695d9386 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/servers.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/servers.py
@@ -1226,12 +1226,9 @@ class ServersController(wsgi.Controller):
     def _get_instance(self, context, instance_uuid):
         try:
             attrs = ['system_metadata', 'metadata']
-            if not CONF.cells.enable:
-                # NOTE(danms): We can't target a cell database if we're
-                # in cellsv1 otherwise we'll short-circuit the replication.
-                mapping = objects.InstanceMapping.get_by_instance_uuid(
-                    context, instance_uuid)
-                nova_context.set_target_cell(context, mapping.cell_mapping)
+            mapping = objects.InstanceMapping.get_by_instance_uuid(
+                context, instance_uuid)
+            nova_context.set_target_cell(context, mapping.cell_mapping)
             return objects.Instance.get_by_uuid(
                 context, instance_uuid, expected_attrs=attrs)
         except (exception.InstanceNotFound,
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/compute/test_serversV21.py b/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/compute/test_serversV21.py
index 8a2e8afb87b6..4113b4825282 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/compute/test_serversV21.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/compute/test_serversV21.py
@@ -262,16 +262,6 @@ class ServersControllerTest(ControllerTest):
                                        use_admin_context=use_admin_context,
                                        version=self.wsgi_api_version)
 
-    @mock.patch('nova.objects.Instance.get_by_uuid')
-    @mock.patch('nova.objects.InstanceMapping.get_by_instance_uuid')
-    def test_cellsv1_instance_lookup_no_target(self, mock_get_im,
-                                               mock_get_inst):
-        self.flags(enable=True, group='cells')
-        ctxt = context.RequestContext('fake', 'fake')
-        self.controller._get_instance(ctxt, 'foo')
-        self.assertFalse(mock_get_im.called)
-        self.assertIsNone(ctxt.db_connection)
-
     @mock.patch('nova.objects.Instance.get_by_uuid')
     @mock.patch('nova.objects.InstanceMapping.get_by_instance_uuid')
     def test_instance_lookup_targets(self, mock_get_im, mock_get_inst):