diff --git a/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_expiry.py b/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_expiry.py
index ed1be90..86f7c8c 100644
--- a/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_expiry.py
+++ b/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_expiry.py
@@ -40,10 +40,10 @@
     def _test_object_expiry(self, metadata):
         # update object metadata
         resp, _ = \
-            self.object_client.update_object_metadata(self.container_name,
-                                                      self.object_name,
-                                                      metadata,
-                                                      metadata_prefix='')
+            self.object_client.create_or_update_object_metadata(
+                self.container_name,
+                self.object_name,
+                headers=metadata)
         # verify object metadata
         resp, _ = \
             self.object_client.list_object_metadata(self.container_name,
diff --git a/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_services.py b/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_services.py
index 4dd8ab0..acb578d 100644
--- a/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_services.py
+++ b/tempest/api/object_storage/test_object_services.py
@@ -329,11 +329,10 @@
         object_name, _ = self.create_object(self.container_name)
 
         metadata = {'X-Object-Meta-test-meta': 'Meta'}
-        resp, _ = self.object_client.update_object_metadata(
+        resp, _ = self.object_client.create_or_update_object_metadata(
             self.container_name,
             object_name,
-            metadata,
-            metadata_prefix='')
+            headers=metadata)
         self.assertHeaders(resp, 'Object', 'POST')
 
         resp, _ = self.object_client.list_object_metadata(
@@ -354,11 +353,10 @@
                                          metadata=create_metadata)
 
         update_metadata = {'X-Remove-Object-Meta-test-meta1': 'Meta1'}
-        resp, _ = self.object_client.update_object_metadata(
+        resp, _ = self.object_client.create_or_update_object_metadata(
             self.container_name,
             object_name,
-            update_metadata,
-            metadata_prefix='')
+            headers=update_metadata)
         self.assertHeaders(resp, 'Object', 'POST')
 
         resp, _ = self.object_client.list_object_metadata(
@@ -379,11 +377,10 @@
 
         update_metadata = {'X-Object-Meta-test-meta2': 'Meta2',
                            'X-Remove-Object-Meta-test-meta1': 'Meta1'}
-        resp, _ = self.object_client.update_object_metadata(
+        resp, _ = self.object_client.create_or_update_object_metadata(
             self.container_name,
             object_name,
-            update_metadata,
-            metadata_prefix='')
+            headers=update_metadata)
         self.assertHeaders(resp, 'Object', 'POST')
 
         resp, _ = self.object_client.list_object_metadata(
@@ -407,11 +404,10 @@
                                          metadata=None)
         object_prefix = '%s/%s' % (self.container_name, object_name)
         update_metadata = {'X-Object-Manifest': object_prefix}
-        resp, _ = self.object_client.update_object_metadata(
+        resp, _ = self.object_client.create_or_update_object_metadata(
             self.container_name,
             object_name,
-            update_metadata,
-            metadata_prefix='')
+            headers=update_metadata)
         self.assertHeaders(resp, 'Object', 'POST')
 
         resp, _ = self.object_client.list_object_metadata(
@@ -426,11 +422,10 @@
         object_name, _ = self.create_object(self.container_name)
 
         update_metadata = {'X-Object-Meta-test-meta': ''}
-        resp, _ = self.object_client.update_object_metadata(
+        resp, _ = self.object_client.create_or_update_object_metadata(
             self.container_name,
             object_name,
-            update_metadata,
-            metadata_prefix='')
+            headers=update_metadata)
         self.assertHeaders(resp, 'Object', 'POST')
 
         resp, _ = self.object_client.list_object_metadata(
@@ -451,11 +446,10 @@
                                          metadata=create_metadata)
 
         update_metadata = {'X-Remove-Object-Meta-test-meta': ''}
-        resp, _ = self.object_client.update_object_metadata(
+        resp, _ = self.object_client.create_or_update_object_metadata(
             self.container_name,
             object_name,
-            update_metadata,
-            metadata_prefix='')
+            headers=update_metadata)
         self.assertHeaders(resp, 'Object', 'POST')
 
         resp, _ = self.object_client.list_object_metadata(
@@ -816,10 +810,11 @@
         # set object metadata
         meta_key = data_utils.rand_name(name='test')
         meta_value = data_utils.rand_name(name='MetaValue')
-        orig_metadata = {meta_key: meta_value}
-        resp, _ = self.object_client.update_object_metadata(src_container_name,
-                                                            object_name,
-                                                            orig_metadata)
+        orig_metadata = {'X-Object-Meta-' + meta_key: meta_value}
+        resp, _ = self.object_client.create_or_update_object_metadata(
+            src_container_name,
+            object_name,
+            headers=orig_metadata)
         self.assertHeaders(resp, 'Object', 'POST')
 
         # copy object from source container to destination container
@@ -926,8 +921,8 @@
                                                    object_name, data='')
         self.assertHeaders(resp, 'Object', 'PUT')
 
-        resp, _ = self.object_client.update_object_metadata(
-            self.container_name, object_name, metadata, metadata_prefix='')
+        resp, _ = self.object_client.create_or_update_object_metadata(
+            self.container_name, object_name, headers=metadata)
         self.assertHeaders(resp, 'Object', 'POST')
 
         resp, _ = self.object_client.list_object_metadata(
diff --git a/tempest/services/object_storage/object_client.py b/tempest/services/object_storage/object_client.py
index 24532dd..383aff6 100644
--- a/tempest/services/object_storage/object_client.py
+++ b/tempest/services/object_storage/object_client.py
@@ -51,28 +51,27 @@
         self.expected_success([200, 204], resp.status)
         return resp, body
 
-    def update_object_metadata(self, container, object_name, metadata,
-                               metadata_prefix='X-Object-Meta-'):
+    def create_or_update_object_metadata(self, container, object_name,
+                                         headers=None):
         """Add, remove, or change X-Object-Meta metadata for storage object."""
 
-        headers = {}
-        for key in metadata:
-            headers["%s%s" % (str(metadata_prefix), str(key))] = metadata[key]
-
         url = "%s/%s" % (str(container), str(object_name))
         resp, body = self.post(url, None, headers=headers)
         self.expected_success(202, resp.status)
         return resp, body
 
-    def list_object_metadata(self, container, object_name):
+    def list_object_metadata(self, container, object_name,
+                             params=None, headers=None):
         """List all storage object X-Object-Meta- metadata."""
 
         url = "%s/%s" % (str(container), str(object_name))
-        resp, body = self.head(url)
+        if params:
+            url += '?%s' % urlparse.urlencode(params)
+        resp, body = self.head(url, headers=headers)
         self.expected_success(200, resp.status)
         return resp, body
 
-    def get_object(self, container, object_name, metadata=None):
+    def get_object(self, container, object_name, metadata=None, params=None):
         """Retrieve object's data."""
 
         headers = {}
@@ -81,6 +80,8 @@
                 headers[str(key)] = metadata[key]
 
         url = "{0}/{1}".format(container, object_name)
+        if params:
+            url += '?%s' % urlparse.urlencode(params)
         resp, body = self.get(url, headers=headers)
         self.expected_success([200, 206], resp.status)
         return resp, body
@@ -117,8 +118,7 @@
         path = str(parsed.path) + "/"
         path += "%s/%s" % (str(container), str(object_name))
 
-        conn = create_connection(parsed)
-
+        conn = _create_connection(parsed)
         # Send the PUT request and the headers including the "Expect" header
         conn.putrequest('PUT', path)
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@
         return resp.status, resp.reason
 
 
-def create_connection(parsed_url):
+def _create_connection(parsed_url):
     """Helper function to create connection with httplib
 
     :param parsed_url: parsed url of the remote location
diff --git a/tempest/tests/services/object_storage/test_object_client.py b/tempest/tests/services/object_storage/test_object_client.py
index 748614c..86535f9 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/services/object_storage/test_object_client.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/services/object_storage/test_object_client.py
@@ -31,15 +31,15 @@
         self.object_client = object_client.ObjectClient(self.fake_auth,
                                                         'swift', 'region1')
 
-    @mock.patch.object(object_client, 'create_connection')
+    @mock.patch.object(object_client, '_create_connection')
     def test_create_object_continue_no_data(self, mock_poc):
         self._validate_create_object_continue(None, mock_poc)
 
-    @mock.patch.object(object_client, 'create_connection')
+    @mock.patch.object(object_client, '_create_connection')
     def test_create_object_continue_with_data(self, mock_poc):
         self._validate_create_object_continue('hello', mock_poc)
 
-    @mock.patch.object(object_client, 'create_connection')
+    @mock.patch.object(object_client, '_create_connection')
     def test_create_continue_with_no_continue_received(self, mock_poc):
         self._validate_create_object_continue('hello', mock_poc,
                                               initial_status=201)