diff --git a/cinder/api/openstack/volume/volumes.py b/cinder/api/openstack/volume/volumes.py
index 69d55c6bd8e..b697a6256de 100644
--- a/cinder/api/openstack/volume/volumes.py
+++ b/cinder/api/openstack/volume/volumes.py
@@ -319,6 +319,9 @@ class VolumeController(wsgi.Controller):
                 kwargs['image_id'] = image_uuid
 
         kwargs['availability_zone'] = volume.get('availability_zone', None)
+        # NOTE(vish): Temporary hack to work around gating issues
+        if kwargs['availability_zone'] == 'cinder':
+            kwargs['availability_zone'] = 'nova'
 
         new_volume = self.volume_api.create(context,
                                             size,
diff --git a/cinder/flags.py b/cinder/flags.py
index 86ce6492c25..87103c83a3d 100644
--- a/cinder/flags.py
+++ b/cinder/flags.py
@@ -177,8 +177,9 @@ global_opts = [
                default=socket.gethostname(),
                help='Name of this node.  This can be an opaque identifier.  '
                     'It is not necessarily a hostname, FQDN, or IP address.'),
+    # NOTE(vish): default to nova for compatibility with nova installs
     cfg.StrOpt('storage_availability_zone',
-               default='cinder',
+               default='nova',
                help='availability zone of this node'),
     cfg.ListOpt('memcached_servers',
                 default=None,
diff --git a/cinder/tests/api/openstack/volume/test_volumes.py b/cinder/tests/api/openstack/volume/test_volumes.py
index a146b1f8abd..f5141f631f7 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/api/openstack/volume/test_volumes.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/api/openstack/volume/test_volumes.py
@@ -109,11 +109,11 @@ class VolumeApiTest(test.TestCase):
         vol = {"size": '1',
                "display_name": "Volume Test Name",
                "display_description": "Volume Test Desc",
-               "availability_zone": "cinder",
+               "availability_zone": "nova",
                "imageRef": 'c905cedb-7281-47e4-8a62-f26bc5fc4c77'}
         expected = {'volume': {'status': 'fakestatus',
                            'display_description': 'Volume Test Desc',
-                           'availability_zone': 'cinder',
+                           'availability_zone': 'nova',
                            'display_name': 'Volume Test Name',
                            'attachments': [{'device': '/',
                                             'server_id': 'fakeuuid',
diff --git a/cinder/tests/integrated/test_volumes.py b/cinder/tests/integrated/test_volumes.py
index 6c4476114b1..0ec851113d1 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/integrated/test_volumes.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/integrated/test_volumes.py
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class VolumesTest(integrated_helpers._IntegratedTestBase):
         self.assertEquals(1, len(create_actions))
         create_action = create_actions[0]
         self.assertEquals(create_action['id'], created_volume_id)
-        self.assertEquals(create_action['availability_zone'], 'cinder')
+        self.assertEquals(create_action['availability_zone'], 'nova')
         self.assertEquals(create_action['size'], 1)
 
         export_actions = driver.LoggingVolumeDriver.logs_like(
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class VolumesTest(integrated_helpers._IntegratedTestBase):
         self.assertEquals(1, len(export_actions))
         export_action = export_actions[0]
         self.assertEquals(export_action['id'], created_volume_id)
-        self.assertEquals(export_action['availability_zone'], 'cinder')
+        self.assertEquals(export_action['availability_zone'], 'nova')
 
         delete_actions = driver.LoggingVolumeDriver.logs_like(
                             'delete_volume',
diff --git a/cinder/tests/test_service.py b/cinder/tests/test_service.py
index c0c2561e43a..38b0c3922bd 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/test_service.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/test_service.py
@@ -129,12 +129,12 @@ class ServiceTestCase(test.TestCase):
                           'binary': binary,
                           'topic': topic,
                           'report_count': 0,
-                          'availability_zone': 'cinder'}
+                          'availability_zone': 'nova'}
         service_ref = {'host': host,
                           'binary': binary,
                           'topic': topic,
                           'report_count': 0,
-                          'availability_zone': 'cinder',
+                          'availability_zone': 'nova',
                           'id': 1}
 
         service.db.service_get_by_args(mox.IgnoreArg(),
@@ -162,12 +162,12 @@ class ServiceTestCase(test.TestCase):
                           'binary': binary,
                           'topic': topic,
                           'report_count': 0,
-                          'availability_zone': 'cinder'}
+                          'availability_zone': 'nova'}
         service_ref = {'host': host,
                           'binary': binary,
                           'topic': topic,
                           'report_count': 0,
-                          'availability_zone': 'cinder',
+                          'availability_zone': 'nova',
                           'id': 1}
 
         service.db.service_get_by_args(mox.IgnoreArg(),