diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/servers.py b/nova/api/openstack/servers.py
index 2fbe02d9a973..830bc2659382 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/servers.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/servers.py
@@ -134,8 +134,10 @@ class Controller(wsgi.Controller):
             for k, v in env['server']['metadata'].items():
                 metadata.append({'key': k, 'value': v})
 
-        personality = env['server'].get('personality', [])
-        injected_files = self._get_injected_files(personality)
+        personality = env['server'].get('personality')
+        injected_files = []
+        if personality:
+            injected_files = self._get_injected_files(personality)
 
         try:
             instances = self.compute_api.create(
@@ -183,6 +185,7 @@ class Controller(wsgi.Controller):
         underlying compute service.
         """
         injected_files = []
+
         for item in personality:
             try:
                 path = item['path']
diff --git a/nova/tests/api/openstack/test_servers.py b/nova/tests/api/openstack/test_servers.py
index 6afe145b6f3e..a5fd4140f8da 100644
--- a/nova/tests/api/openstack/test_servers.py
+++ b/nova/tests/api/openstack/test_servers.py
@@ -1126,6 +1126,15 @@ class TestServerInstanceCreation(test.TestCase):
         self.assertEquals(response.status_int, 400)
         self.assertEquals(injected_files, None)
 
+    def test_create_instance_with_null_personality(self):
+        personality = None
+        body_dict = self._create_personality_request_dict(personality)
+        body_dict['server']['personality'] = None
+        request = self._get_create_request_json(body_dict)
+        compute_api, response = \
+            self._run_create_instance_with_mock_compute_api(request)
+        self.assertEquals(response.status_int, 200)
+
     def test_create_instance_with_three_personalities(self):
         files = [
             ('/etc/sudoers', 'ALL ALL=NOPASSWD: ALL\n'),