diff --git a/nova/block_device.py b/nova/block_device.py
index ecb78efb6ac4..c6f1d1c773dd 100644
--- a/nova/block_device.py
+++ b/nova/block_device.py
@@ -541,7 +541,9 @@ def instance_block_mapping(instance, bdms):
     #                 Right now sort by device name for deterministic
     #                 result.
     if ebs_devices:
-        ebs_devices.sort()
+        # NOTE(claudiub): python2.7 sort places None values first.
+        # this sort will maintain the same behaviour for both py27 and py34.
+        ebs_devices = sorted(ebs_devices, key=lambda x: (x is not None, x))
         for nebs, ebs in enumerate(ebs_devices):
             mappings['ebs%d' % nebs] = ebs
 
diff --git a/nova/cells/utils.py b/nova/cells/utils.py
index e196470e1393..f3d2619c6d37 100644
--- a/nova/cells/utils.py
+++ b/nova/cells/utils.py
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ class ServiceProxy(_CellProxy):
             # ComputeNode object that consumers of this Proxy don't use, we can
             # safely remove it from what's returned
             raise AttributeError
-        return getattr(self._obj, key)
+        # NOTE(claudiub): needed for py34 compatiblity.
+        # get self._obj first, without ending into an infinite recursion.
+        return getattr(self.__getattribute__("_obj"), key)
 
 
 def get_instances_to_sync(context, updated_since=None, project_id=None,
diff --git a/nova/utils.py b/nova/utils.py
index 6a34b2cfd791..d775e579aa2f 100644
--- a/nova/utils.py
+++ b/nova/utils.py
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ def temporary_mutation(obj, **kwargs):
             do_something_that_needed_deleted_objects()
     """
     def is_dict_like(thing):
-        return hasattr(thing, 'has_key')
+        return hasattr(thing, 'has_key') or isinstance(thing, dict)
 
     def get(thing, attr, default):
         if is_dict_like(thing):
diff --git a/nova/virt/block_device.py b/nova/virt/block_device.py
index 41eef7a9d028..b68f61544ea8 100644
--- a/nova/virt/block_device.py
+++ b/nova/virt/block_device.py
@@ -508,7 +508,8 @@ def attach_block_devices(block_device_mapping, *attach_args, **attach_kwargs):
 
         bdm.attach(*attach_args, **attach_kwargs)
 
-    map(_log_and_attach, block_device_mapping)
+    for device in block_device_mapping:
+        _log_and_attach(device)
     return block_device_mapping
 
 
diff --git a/tests-py3.txt b/tests-py3.txt
index e31c6a992784..540247a46483 100644
--- a/tests-py3.txt
+++ b/tests-py3.txt
@@ -32,11 +32,6 @@ nova.tests.unit.api.openstack.compute.test_volumes.BootFromVolumeTest
 nova.tests.unit.api.openstack.compute.test_volumes.VolumeApiTestV21
 nova.tests.unit.api.test_compute_req_id.RequestIdTest
 nova.tests.unit.compute.test_compute.ComputeAPITestCase.test_create_with_base64_user_data
-nova.tests.unit.compute.test_compute.ComputeTestCase.test_finish_resize_with_volumes
-nova.tests.unit.compute.test_compute.ComputeVolumeTestCase.test_boot_volume_serial
-nova.tests.unit.compute.test_compute.ComputeVolumeTestCase.test_poll_bandwidth_usage_not_implemented
-nova.tests.unit.compute.test_compute.ComputeVolumeTestCase.test_prep_block_device_over_quota_failure
-nova.tests.unit.compute.test_compute.ComputeVolumeTestCase.test_prep_block_device_with_blanks
 nova.tests.unit.compute.test_compute_cells.CellsComputeAPITestCase.test_create_with_base64_user_data
 nova.tests.unit.compute.test_compute_mgr.ComputeManagerUnitTestCase.test_run_pending_deletes
 nova.tests.unit.compute.test_host_api.ComputeHostAPICellsTestCase