diff --git a/tempest/api/image/v2/test_images.py b/tempest/api/image/v2/test_images.py
index d1f6f98..ca72388 100644
--- a/tempest/api/image/v2/test_images.py
+++ b/tempest/api/image/v2/test_images.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
         self.assertEqual('uploading', body['status'])
         # import image from staging to backend
         self.client.image_import(image['id'], method='glance-direct')
-        self.client.wait_for_resource_activation(image['id'])
+        waiters.wait_for_image_imported_to_stores(self.client, image['id'])
 
     @decorators.idempotent_id('f6feb7a4-b04f-4706-a011-206129f83e62')
     def test_image_web_download_import(self):
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
         image_uri = CONF.image.http_image
         self.client.image_import(image['id'], method='web-download',
                                  image_uri=image_uri)
-        self.client.wait_for_resource_activation(image['id'])
+        waiters.wait_for_image_imported_to_stores(self.client, image['id'])
 
 
 class MultiStoresImportImagesTest(base.BaseV2ImageTest):
diff --git a/tempest/common/waiters.py b/tempest/common/waiters.py
index e3c33c7..eaac05e 100644
--- a/tempest/common/waiters.py
+++ b/tempest/common/waiters.py
@@ -193,26 +193,34 @@
     raise lib_exc.TimeoutException(message)
 
 
-def wait_for_image_imported_to_stores(client, image_id, stores):
+def wait_for_image_imported_to_stores(client, image_id, stores=None):
     """Waits for an image to be imported to all requested stores.
 
+    Short circuits to fail if the serer reports failure of any store.
+    If stores is None, just wait for status==active.
+
     The client should also have build_interval and build_timeout attributes.
     """
 
+    exc_cls = lib_exc.TimeoutException
     start = int(time.time())
     while int(time.time()) - start < client.build_timeout:
         image = client.show_image(image_id)
-        if image['status'] == 'active' and image['stores'] == stores:
+        if image['status'] == 'active' and (stores is None or
+                                            image['stores'] == stores):
             return
+        if image.get('os_glance_failed_import'):
+            exc_cls = lib_exc.OtherRestClientException
+            break
 
         time.sleep(client.build_interval)
 
     message = ('Image %s failed to import on stores: %s' %
-               (image_id, str(image['os_glance_failed_import'])))
+               (image_id, str(image.get('os_glance_failed_import'))))
     caller = test_utils.find_test_caller()
     if caller:
         message = '(%s) %s' % (caller, message)
-    raise lib_exc.TimeoutException(message)
+    raise exc_cls(message)
 
 
 def wait_for_image_copied_to_stores(client, image_id):
diff --git a/tempest/tests/common/test_waiters.py b/tempest/tests/common/test_waiters.py
index ff74877..d64d7b0 100755
--- a/tempest/tests/common/test_waiters.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/common/test_waiters.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
         # Ensure waiter returns before build_timeout
         self.assertLess((end_time - start_time), 10)
 
-    def test_wait_for_image_imported_to_stores_timeout(self):
+    def test_wait_for_image_imported_to_stores_failure(self):
         time_mock = self.patch('time.time')
         client = mock.MagicMock()
         client.build_timeout = 2
@@ -77,6 +77,20 @@
             'status': 'saving',
             'stores': 'fake_store',
             'os_glance_failed_import': 'fake_os_glance_failed_import'})
+        self.assertRaises(lib_exc.OtherRestClientException,
+                          waiters.wait_for_image_imported_to_stores,
+                          client, 'fake_image_id', 'fake_store')
+
+    def test_wait_for_image_imported_to_stores_timeout(self):
+        time_mock = self.patch('time.time')
+        client = mock.MagicMock()
+        client.build_timeout = 2
+        self.patch('time.time', side_effect=[0., 1., 2.])
+        time_mock.side_effect = utils.generate_timeout_series(1)
+
+        client.show_image.return_value = ({
+            'status': 'saving',
+            'stores': 'fake_store'})
         self.assertRaises(lib_exc.TimeoutException,
                           waiters.wait_for_image_imported_to_stores,
                           client, 'fake_image_id', 'fake_store')