diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
index f63998ee7c34..af7923541d0e 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/virt/libvirt/test_driver.py
@@ -11949,12 +11949,11 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         self.assertFalse(self.copy_or_move_swap_called)
         self.assertEqual(disk_info_text, out)
 
-    def test_migrate_disk_and_power_off_lvm(self):
+    def _test_migrate_disk_and_power_off_resize_check(self, expected_exc):
         """Test for nova.virt.libvirt.libvirt_driver.LibvirtConnection
         .migrate_disk_and_power_off.
         """
 
-        self.flags(images_type='lvm', group='libvirt')
         disk_info = [{'type': 'raw', 'path': '/dev/vg/disk',
                       'disk_size': '83886080'},
                      {'type': 'raw', 'path': '/dev/disk.local',
@@ -11979,17 +11978,42 @@ class LibvirtDriverTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         self.stubs.Set(self.drvr, '_destroy', fake_destroy)
         self.stubs.Set(self.drvr, 'get_host_ip_addr',
                        fake_get_host_ip_addr)
-        self.stubs.Set(utils, 'execute', fake_execute)
 
         ins_ref = self._create_instance()
         flavor = {'root_gb': 10, 'ephemeral_gb': 20}
         flavor_obj = objects.Flavor(**flavor)
 
         # Migration is not implemented for LVM backed instances
-        self.assertRaises(exception.MigrationPreCheckError,
+        self.assertRaises(expected_exc,
               self.drvr.migrate_disk_and_power_off,
               None, ins_ref, '10.0.0.1', flavor_obj, None)
 
+    def test_migrate_disk_and_power_off_lvm(self):
+        self.flags(images_type='lvm', group='libvirt')
+
+        def fake_execute(*args, **kwargs):
+            pass
+
+        self.stubs.Set(utils, 'execute', fake_execute)
+
+        expected_exc = exception.MigrationPreCheckError
+        self._test_migrate_disk_and_power_off_resize_check(expected_exc)
+
+    def test_migrate_disk_and_power_off_resize_cannot_ssh(self):
+        def fake_execute(*args, **kwargs):
+            raise processutils.ProcessExecutionError()
+
+        def fake_is_storage_shared(dest, inst_base):
+            self.checked_shared_storage = True
+            return False
+
+        self.stubs.Set(self.drvr, '_is_storage_shared_with',
+                       fake_is_storage_shared)
+        self.stubs.Set(utils, 'execute', fake_execute)
+
+        expected_exc = exception.InstanceFaultRollback
+        self._test_migrate_disk_and_power_off_resize_check(expected_exc)
+
     def test_migrate_disk_and_power_off_resize_error(self):
         instance = self._create_instance()
         flavor = {'root_gb': 5, 'ephemeral_gb': 10}
diff --git a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
index a25d54677c66..717170e0cf97 100644
--- a/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
+++ b/nova/virt/libvirt/driver.py
@@ -5834,7 +5834,12 @@ class LibvirtDriver(driver.ComputeDriver):
         # if this fails we pass the exception up the stack so we can catch
         # failures here earlier
         if not shared_storage:
-            utils.execute('ssh', dest, 'mkdir', '-p', inst_base)
+            try:
+                utils.execute('ssh', dest, 'mkdir', '-p', inst_base)
+            except processutils.ProcessExecutionError as e:
+                reason = _("not able to execute ssh command: %s") % e
+                raise exception.InstanceFaultRollback(
+                    exception.ResizeError(reason=reason))
 
         self.power_off(instance, timeout, retry_interval)