diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/test_hacking.py b/nova/tests/unit/test_hacking.py
index 82b822a7931a..c8dd1104a4b0 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/test_hacking.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/test_hacking.py
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ class HackingTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
     def _run_check(self, code, checker, filename=None):
         pep8.register_check(checker)
 
-        lines = textwrap.dedent(code).strip().splitlines(True)
+        lines = textwrap.dedent(code).lstrip().splitlines(True)
 
         checker = pep8.Checker(filename=filename, lines=lines)
         # NOTE(sdague): the standard reporter has printing to stdout
@@ -571,12 +571,14 @@ class HackingTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
     def test_check_doubled_words(self):
         errors = [(1, 0, "N343")]
 
-        # Artificial break to stop pep8 detecting the test !
-        code = "This is the" + " the best comment"
+        # Explicit addition of line-ending here and below since this isn't a
+        # block comment and without it we trigger #1804062. Artificial break is
+        # necessary to stop flake8 detecting the test
+        code = "'This is the" + " the best comment'\n"
         self._assert_has_errors(code, checks.check_doubled_words,
                                 expected_errors=errors)
 
-        code = "This is the then best comment"
+        code = "'This is the then best comment'\n"
         self._assert_has_no_errors(code, checks.check_doubled_words)
 
     def test_dict_iteritems(self):