diff --git a/nova/cells/filters/target_cell.py b/nova/cells/filters/target_cell.py
index 772765c6e4a..ac5fad252d3 100644
--- a/nova/cells/filters/target_cell.py
+++ b/nova/cells/filters/target_cell.py
@@ -63,7 +63,12 @@ def filter_all(self, cells, filter_properties):
         if cell_name == filter_properties['routing_path']:
             return [scheduler.state_manager.get_my_state()]
         ctxt = filter_properties['context']
-        scheduler.msg_runner.schedule_run_instance(ctxt, cell_name,
-            filter_properties['host_sched_kwargs'])
+
+        # NOTE(belliott) Remove after deprecated schedule_run_instance
+        # code goes away:
+        schedule = filter_properties['cell_scheduler_method']
+        schedule = getattr(scheduler.msg_runner, schedule)
+        schedule(ctxt, cell_name, filter_properties['host_sched_kwargs'])
+
         # Returning None means to skip further scheduling, because we
         # handled it.
diff --git a/nova/cells/scheduler.py b/nova/cells/scheduler.py
index a3201cb57e5..fa3ec2fc6bc 100644
--- a/nova/cells/scheduler.py
+++ b/nova/cells/scheduler.py
@@ -246,6 +246,10 @@ def build_instances(self, message, build_inst_kwargs):
                                   'routing_path': message.routing_path,
                                   'host_sched_kwargs': build_inst_kwargs,
                                   'request_spec': request_spec})
+        # NOTE(belliott) remove when deprecated schedule_run_instance
+        # code gets removed.
+        filter_properties['cell_scheduler_method'] = 'build_instances'
+
         self._schedule_build_to_cells(message, instance_uuids,
                 filter_properties, self._build_instances, build_inst_kwargs)
 
@@ -258,6 +262,10 @@ def run_instance(self, message, host_sched_kwargs):
                                   'routing_path': message.routing_path,
                                   'host_sched_kwargs': host_sched_kwargs,
                                   'request_spec': request_spec})
+        # NOTE(belliott) remove when deprecated schedule_run_instance
+        # code gets removed.
+        filter_properties['cell_scheduler_method'] = 'schedule_run_instance'
+
         self._schedule_build_to_cells(message, instance_uuids,
                 filter_properties, self._run_instance, host_sched_kwargs)
 
@@ -268,6 +276,10 @@ def _schedule_build_to_cells(self, message, instance_uuids,
             for i in xrange(max(0, CONF.cells.scheduler_retries) + 1):
                 try:
                     target_cells = self._grab_target_cells(filter_properties)
+                    if target_cells is None:
+                        # a filter took care of scheduling.  skip.
+                        return
+
                     return method(message, target_cells, instance_uuids,
                             method_kwargs)
                 except exception.NoCellsAvailable:
diff --git a/nova/tests/cells/test_cells_filters.py b/nova/tests/cells/test_cells_filters.py
index 44e74f24172..44b4fdf45a3 100644
--- a/nova/tests/cells/test_cells_filters.py
+++ b/nova/tests/cells/test_cells_filters.py
@@ -154,10 +154,10 @@ def _fake_sched_run_instance(ctxt, cell, sched_kwargs):
                         'routing_path': current_cell,
                         'scheduler': self.scheduler,
                         'context': self.context,
-                        'host_sched_kwargs': 'meow'}
+                        'host_sched_kwargs': 'meow',
+                        'cell_scheduler_method': 'schedule_run_instance'}
         # None is returned to bypass further scheduling.
-        self.assertEqual(None,
-                         self._filter_cells(cells, filter_props))
+        self.assertEqual(None, self._filter_cells(cells, filter_props))
         # The filter should have re-scheduled to the child cell itself.
         expected_info = {'ctxt': self.context,
                          'cell': 'fake!cell!path',
diff --git a/nova/tests/cells/test_cells_scheduler.py b/nova/tests/cells/test_cells_scheduler.py
index 32378afe3a3..77757edac62 100644
--- a/nova/tests/cells/test_cells_scheduler.py
+++ b/nova/tests/cells/test_cells_scheduler.py
@@ -422,6 +422,23 @@ def fake_build_request_spec(ctxt, image, instances):
         self.assertEqual(self.instance_uuids, call_info['errored_uuids1'])
         self.assertEqual(self.instance_uuids, call_info['errored_uuids2'])
 
+    def test_filter_schedule_skipping(self):
+        # if a filter handles scheduling, short circuit
+
+        def _grab(filter_properties):
+            return None
+
+        self.stubs.Set(self.scheduler, '_grab_target_cells', _grab)
+
+        def _test(self, *args):
+            raise test.TestingException("shouldn't be called")
+
+        try:
+            self.scheduler._schedule_build_to_cells(None, None, None, _test,
+                                                    None)
+        except test.TestingException:
+            self.fail("Scheduling did not properly short circuit")
+
     def test_cells_filter_args_correct(self):
         # Re-init our fakes with some filters.
         our_path = 'nova.tests.cells.test_cells_scheduler'
@@ -488,7 +505,9 @@ def fake_get_filtered_objs(filter_classes, cells, filt_properties):
                                'scheduler': self.scheduler,
                                'routing_path': self.my_cell_state.name,
                                'host_sched_kwargs': host_sched_kwargs,
-                               'request_spec': self.request_spec}
+                               'request_spec': self.request_spec,
+                               'cell_scheduler_method':
+                                   'schedule_run_instance'}
         self.assertEqual(expected_filt_props, call_info['filt_props'])
         self.assertEqual([FakeFilterClass1, FakeFilterClass2],
                          call_info['filt_classes'])
@@ -593,7 +612,9 @@ def fake_get_weighed_objs(weight_classes, cells, filt_properties):
                                'scheduler': self.scheduler,
                                'routing_path': self.my_cell_state.name,
                                'host_sched_kwargs': host_sched_kwargs,
-                               'request_spec': self.request_spec}
+                               'request_spec': self.request_spec,
+                               'cell_scheduler_method':
+                                   'schedule_run_instance'}
         self.assertEqual(expected_filt_props, call_info['weight_props'])
         self.assertEqual([FakeWeightClass1, FakeWeightClass2],
                          call_info['weight_classes'])