diff --git a/openstack/format.py b/openstack/format.py
index c2cb0f775..9b3ef3d52 100644
--- a/openstack/format.py
+++ b/openstack/format.py
@@ -111,23 +111,26 @@ class UNIXEpoch(Formatter):
 
 class BoolStr(Formatter):
 
-    # The behavior here primarily exists for the deserialize method
-    # to be producing Python booleans.
-
     @classmethod
     def deserialize(cls, value):
-        return cls.convert(value)
-
-    @classmethod
-    def serialize(cls, value):
-        return cls.convert(value)
-
-    @classmethod
-    def convert(cls, value):
+        """Convert a boolean string to a boolean"""
         expr = str(value).lower()
         if "true" == expr:
             return True
         elif "false" == expr:
             return False
         else:
-            raise ValueError("Unable to convert as boolean: %s" % value)
+            raise ValueError("Unable to deserialize boolean string: %s"
+                             % value)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def serialize(cls, value):
+        """Convert a boolean to a boolean string"""
+        if isinstance(value, bool):
+            if value:
+                return "true"
+            else:
+                return "false"
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Unable to serialize boolean string: %s"
+                             % value)
diff --git a/openstack/tests/unit/test_format.py b/openstack/tests/unit/test_format.py
index b10707ec6..c3d8f2ed4 100644
--- a/openstack/tests/unit/test_format.py
+++ b/openstack/tests/unit/test_format.py
@@ -19,24 +19,25 @@ from openstack import format
 
 class TestBoolStrFormatter(testtools.TestCase):
 
-    # NOTE: serialize/deserialize go through the same code path
+    def test_deserialize(self):
+        self.assertTrue(format.BoolStr.deserialize(True))
+        self.assertTrue(format.BoolStr.deserialize('True'))
+        self.assertTrue(format.BoolStr.deserialize('TRUE'))
+        self.assertTrue(format.BoolStr.deserialize('true'))
+        self.assertFalse(format.BoolStr.deserialize(False))
+        self.assertFalse(format.BoolStr.deserialize('False'))
+        self.assertFalse(format.BoolStr.deserialize('FALSE'))
+        self.assertFalse(format.BoolStr.deserialize('false'))
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, format.BoolStr.deserialize, None)
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, format.BoolStr.deserialize, '')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, format.BoolStr.deserialize, 'INVALID')
 
-    def test_format_true(self):
-        self.assertTrue(format.BoolStr.serialize(True))
-        self.assertTrue(format.BoolStr.serialize('True'))
-        self.assertTrue(format.BoolStr.serialize('TRUE'))
-        self.assertTrue(format.BoolStr.serialize('true'))
-
-    def test_format_false(self):
-        self.assertFalse(format.BoolStr.serialize(False))
-        self.assertFalse(format.BoolStr.serialize('False'))
-        self.assertFalse(format.BoolStr.serialize('FALSE'))
-        self.assertFalse(format.BoolStr.serialize('false'))
-
-    def test_format_fails(self):
+    def test_serialize(self):
+        self.assertEqual('true', format.BoolStr.serialize(True))
+        self.assertEqual('false', format.BoolStr.serialize(False))
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, format.BoolStr.serialize, None)
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, format.BoolStr.serialize, '')
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, format.BoolStr.serialize, 'INVALID')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, format.BoolStr.serialize, 'True')
 
 
 class TestISO8601Formatter(testtools.TestCase):