diff --git a/nova/compute/manager.py b/nova/compute/manager.py
index 914131d4a389..c8b49c9d66e7 100644
--- a/nova/compute/manager.py
+++ b/nova/compute/manager.py
@@ -2569,6 +2569,12 @@ class ComputeManager(manager.Manager):
 
         network_info = instance.get_network_info()
 
+        # NOTE(arnaudmorin) to avoid nova destroying the instance without
+        # unplugging the interface, refresh network_info if it is empty.
+        if not network_info:
+            network_info = self.network_api.get_instance_nw_info(
+                context, instance)
+
         # NOTE(vish) get bdms before destroying the instance
         vol_bdms = [bdm for bdm in bdms if bdm.is_volume]
         block_device_info = self._get_instance_block_device_info(
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py
index 04b0ff538009..258ba8a82a5e 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_mgr.py
@@ -4842,6 +4842,39 @@ class ComputeManagerUnitTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase,
         mock_delete_instance.assert_called_once_with(
             self.context, instance, bdms)
 
+    @mock.patch('nova.context.RequestContext.elevated')
+    def test_terminate_instance_no_network_info(self, mock_elevated):
+        # Tests that we refresh the network info if it was empty
+        instance = fake_instance.fake_instance_obj(
+            self.context, vm_state=vm_states.ACTIVE)
+        empty_nw_info = network_model.NetworkInfo()
+        instance.info_cache = objects.InstanceInfoCache(
+            network_info=empty_nw_info)
+        vif = fake_network_cache_model.new_vif()
+        nw_info = network_model.NetworkInfo([vif])
+        bdms = objects.BlockDeviceMappingList()
+        elevated = context.get_admin_context()
+        mock_elevated.return_value = elevated
+
+        # Call shutdown instance
+        with test.nested(
+            mock.patch.object(self.compute.network_api, 'get_instance_nw_info',
+                              return_value=nw_info),
+            mock.patch.object(self.compute, '_get_instance_block_device_info'),
+            mock.patch.object(self.compute.driver, 'destroy')
+        ) as (
+            mock_nw_api_info, mock_get_bdi, mock_destroy
+        ):
+            self.compute._shutdown_instance(self.context, instance, bdms,
+                notify=False, try_deallocate_networks=False)
+
+        # Verify
+        mock_nw_api_info.assert_called_once_with(elevated, instance)
+        mock_get_bdi.assert_called_once_with(elevated, instance, bdms=bdms)
+        # destroy should have been called with the refresh network_info
+        mock_destroy.assert_called_once_with(
+            elevated, instance, nw_info, mock_get_bdi.return_value)
+
     @mock.patch('nova.compute.utils.notify_about_instance_action')
     @mock.patch.object(nova.compute.manager.ComputeManager,
                        '_notify_about_instance_usage')
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_utils.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_utils.py
index 4f9546bba472..366c7b65e5d7 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_utils.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute_utils.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ CONF = nova.conf.CONF
 def create_instance(context, user_id='fake', project_id='fake', params=None):
     """Create a test instance."""
     flavor = objects.Flavor.get_by_name(context, 'm1.tiny')
-    net_info = model.NetworkInfo([])
+    net_info = model.NetworkInfo([model.VIF(id=uuids.port_id)])
     info_cache = objects.InstanceInfoCache(network_info=net_info)
     inst = objects.Instance(context=context,
                             image_ref=uuids.fake_image_ref,