diff --git a/nova/cmd/manage.py b/nova/cmd/manage.py
index 4bd0819aac18..0478c2578463 100644
--- a/nova/cmd/manage.py
+++ b/nova/cmd/manage.py
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ import six
 import six.moves.urllib.parse as urlparse
 from sqlalchemy.engine import url as sqla_url
 
-from nova.api.openstack.placement import db_api as placement_db
 from nova.api.openstack.placement.objects import consumer as consumer_obj
 from nova.cmd import common as cmd_common
 from nova.compute import api as compute_api
@@ -860,8 +859,6 @@ class ApiDbCommands(object):
         # the placement sync to and with the api sync.
         result = True
         if CONF.placement_database.connection is not None:
-            # Establish the independent context manager for the placement db.
-            placement_db.configure(CONF)
             result = migration.db_sync(version2, database='placement')
         return migration.db_sync(version2, database='api') and result
 
diff --git a/nova/config.py b/nova/config.py
index b5064b4783f7..de2d10c8264f 100644
--- a/nova/config.py
+++ b/nova/config.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from oslo_log import log
 from oslo_utils import importutils
 
+from nova.api.openstack.placement import db_api as placement_db
 from nova.common import config
 import nova.conf
 from nova.db.sqlalchemy import api as sqlalchemy_api
@@ -61,3 +62,4 @@ def parse_args(argv, default_config_files=None, configure_db=True,
 
     if configure_db:
         sqlalchemy_api.configure(CONF)
+        placement_db.configure(CONF)
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/test_conf.py b/nova/tests/unit/test_conf.py
index 6fcd2f89254a..95f3ec41e966 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/test_conf.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/test_conf.py
@@ -86,14 +86,27 @@ class ConfTest(test.NoDBTestCase):
 
 class TestParseArgs(test.NoDBTestCase):
 
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(TestParseArgs, self).setUp()
+        m = mock.patch('nova.db.sqlalchemy.api.configure')
+        self.nova_db_config_mock = m.start()
+        self.addCleanup(self.nova_db_config_mock.stop)
+        m = mock.patch('nova.api.openstack.placement.db_api.configure')
+        self.placement_db_config_mock = m.start()
+        self.addCleanup(self.placement_db_config_mock.stop)
+
     @mock.patch.object(config.log, 'register_options')
     def test_parse_args_glance_debug_false(self, register_options):
         self.flags(debug=False, group='glance')
         config.parse_args([], configure_db=False, init_rpc=False)
         self.assertIn('glanceclient=WARN', config.CONF.default_log_levels)
+        self.nova_db_config_mock.assert_not_called()
+        self.placement_db_config_mock.assert_not_called()
 
     @mock.patch.object(config.log, 'register_options')
     def test_parse_args_glance_debug_true(self, register_options):
         self.flags(debug=True, group='glance')
-        config.parse_args([], configure_db=False, init_rpc=False)
+        config.parse_args([], configure_db=True, init_rpc=False)
         self.assertIn('glanceclient=DEBUG', config.CONF.default_log_levels)
+        self.nova_db_config_mock.assert_called_once_with(config.CONF)
+        self.placement_db_config_mock.assert_called_once_with(config.CONF)