diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/placement/deploy.py b/nova/api/openstack/placement/deploy.py
index fe440cf1f5fb..053e43dd6911 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/placement/deploy.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/placement/deploy.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ NAME = "nova"
 objects.register_all()
 
 
-def deploy(conf, project_name):
+def deploy(conf):
     """Assemble the middleware pipeline leading to the placement app."""
     if conf.api.auth_strategy == 'noauth2':
         auth_middleware = auth.NoAuthMiddleware
@@ -83,6 +83,20 @@ def deploy(conf, project_name):
     return application
 
 
+# NOTE(cdent): Althought project_name is no longer used because of the
+# resolution of https://bugs.launchpad.net/nova/+bug/1734491, loadapp()
+# is considered a public interface for the creation of a placement
+# WSGI app so must maintain its interface. The canonical placement WSGI
+# app is created by init_application in wsgi.py, but this is not
+# required and in fact can be limiting. loadapp() may be used from
+# fixtures or arbitrary WSGI frameworks and loaders.
 def loadapp(config, project_name=NAME):
-    application = deploy(config, project_name)
+    """WSGI application creator for placement.
+
+    :param config: An olso_config.cfg.ConfigOpts containing placement
+                   configuration.
+    :param project_name: oslo_config project name. Ignored, preserved for
+                         backwards compatibility
+    """
+    application = deploy(config)
     return application
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/placement/test_deploy.py b/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/placement/test_deploy.py
index 7413d07fcd7e..403df8a7a5df 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/placement/test_deploy.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/api/openstack/placement/test_deploy.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class DeployTest(test.NoDBTestCase):
         self.flags(auth_uri=auth_uri, group='keystone_authtoken')
         # ensure that the auth_token middleware is chosen
         self.flags(auth_strategy='keystone', group='api')
-        app = deploy.deploy(CONF, 'nova')
+        app = deploy.deploy(CONF)
         req = webob.Request.blank('/resource_providers', method="GET")
 
         response = req.get_response(app)