diff --git a/cinder/backup/drivers/gcs.py b/cinder/backup/drivers/gcs.py
index 8326e7b7093..e372131c755 100644
--- a/cinder/backup/drivers/gcs.py
+++ b/cinder/backup/drivers/gcs.py
@@ -43,13 +43,13 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     client = None
 
-import googleapiclient
 from googleapiclient import discovery
 from googleapiclient import errors
 from googleapiclient import http
 from oslo_config import cfg
 from oslo_log import log as logging
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
+import pkg_resources
 import six
 
 from cinder.backup import chunkeddriver
@@ -174,8 +174,9 @@ class GoogleBackupDriver(chunkeddriver.ChunkedBackupDriver):
         # If we have google client that support google-auth library
         # (v1.6.0 or higher) and all required libraries are installed use
         # google-auth for the credentials
-        if (version.LooseVersion(googleapiclient.__version__) >=
-                version.LooseVersion('1.6.0') and service_account):
+        dist = pkg_resources.get_distribution('google-api-python-client')
+        if (version.LooseVersion(dist.version) >= version.LooseVersion('1.6.0')
+                and service_account):
             creds = service_account.Credentials.from_service_account_file(
                 backup_credential)
             OAUTH_EXCEPTIONS = (gexceptions.RefreshError,
diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/backup/drivers/test_backup_google.py b/cinder/tests/unit/backup/drivers/test_backup_google.py
index ec4de908c28..f0491206080 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/backup/drivers/test_backup_google.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/backup/drivers/test_backup_google.py
@@ -623,51 +623,59 @@ class GoogleBackupDriverTestCase(test.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual('none', result[0])
         self.assertEqual(already_compressed_data, result[1])
 
-    @mock.patch('googleapiclient.__version__', '1.5.5')
+    @mock.patch('pkg_resources.get_distribution')
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr.client.GoogleCredentials, 'from_stream')
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr.discovery, 'build')
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr, 'service_account')
-    def test_non_google_auth_version(self, account, build, from_stream):
+    def test_non_google_auth_version(self, account, build, from_stream,
+                                     get_dist_mock):
         # Prior to v1.6.0 Google api client doesn't support google-auth library
+        get_dist_mock.return_value.version = '1.5.5'
         google_dr.CONF.set_override('backup_gcs_credential_file',
                                     'credentials_file')
 
         google_dr.GoogleBackupDriver(self.ctxt)
 
+        get_dist_mock.assert_called_once_with('google-api-python-client')
         from_stream.assert_called_once_with('credentials_file')
         account.Credentials.from_service_account_file.assert_not_called()
         build.assert_called_once_with('storage', 'v1', cache_discovery=False,
                                       credentials=from_stream.return_value)
 
-    @mock.patch('googleapiclient.__version__', '1.6.6')
+    @mock.patch('pkg_resources.get_distribution')
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr.client.GoogleCredentials, 'from_stream')
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr.discovery, 'build')
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr, 'service_account', None)
-    def test_no_httplib2_auth(self, build, from_stream):
+    def test_no_httplib2_auth(self, build, from_stream, get_dist_mock):
         # Google api client requires google-auth-httplib2 if not present we
         # use legacy credentials
+        get_dist_mock.return_value.version = '1.6.6'
         google_dr.CONF.set_override('backup_gcs_credential_file',
                                     'credentials_file')
 
         google_dr.GoogleBackupDriver(self.ctxt)
 
+        get_dist_mock.assert_called_once_with('google-api-python-client')
         from_stream.assert_called_once_with('credentials_file')
         build.assert_called_once_with('storage', 'v1', cache_discovery=False,
                                       credentials=from_stream.return_value)
 
-    @mock.patch('googleapiclient.__version__', '1.6.6')
+    @mock.patch('pkg_resources.get_distribution')
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr, 'gexceptions', mock.Mock())
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr.client.GoogleCredentials, 'from_stream')
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr.discovery, 'build')
     @mock.patch.object(google_dr, 'service_account')
-    def test_google_auth_used(self, account, build, from_stream):
+    def test_google_auth_used(self, account, build, from_stream,
+                              get_dist_mock):
         # Google api client requires google-auth-httplib2 if not present we
         # use legacy credentials
+        get_dist_mock.return_value.version = '1.6.6'
         google_dr.CONF.set_override('backup_gcs_credential_file',
                                     'credentials_file')
 
         google_dr.GoogleBackupDriver(self.ctxt)
 
+        get_dist_mock.assert_called_once_with('google-api-python-client')
         from_stream.assert_not_called()
         create_creds = account.Credentials.from_service_account_file
         create_creds.assert_called_once_with('credentials_file')