diff --git a/cinder/objects/volume_type.py b/cinder/objects/volume_type.py
index 10215b102b4..e39b5d26276 100644
--- a/cinder/objects/volume_type.py
+++ b/cinder/objects/volume_type.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 from oslo_utils import versionutils
 from oslo_versionedobjects import fields
+import six
 
 from cinder import db
 from cinder import exception
@@ -84,7 +85,13 @@ class VolumeType(base.CinderPersistentObject, base.CinderObject,
             elif specs and isinstance(specs, dict):
                 type.extra_specs = specs
         if 'projects' in expected_attrs:
-            type.projects = db_type.get('projects', [])
+            # NOTE(geguileo): Until projects stops being a polymorphic value we
+            # have to do a conversion here for VolumeTypeProjects ORM instance
+            # lists.
+            projects = db_type.get('projects', [])
+            if projects and not isinstance(projects[0], six.string_types):
+                projects = [p.project_id for p in projects]
+            type.projects = projects
         if 'qos_specs' in expected_attrs:
             qos_specs = objects.QualityOfServiceSpecs(context)
             qos_specs._from_db_object(context, qos_specs, db_type['qos_specs'])
diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/objects/test_volume_type.py b/cinder/tests/unit/objects/test_volume_type.py
index 7f837acfc0d..0b44d89e3d6 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/objects/test_volume_type.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/objects/test_volume_type.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from oslo_utils import timeutils
 import pytz
 import six
 
+from cinder.db.sqlalchemy import models
 from cinder import objects
 from cinder.tests.unit import fake_constants as fake
 from cinder.tests.unit import fake_volume
@@ -33,6 +34,26 @@ class TestVolumeType(test_objects.BaseObjectsTestCase):
                                                    fake.VOLUME_TYPE_ID)
         self._compare(self, db_volume_type, volume_type)
 
+    @mock.patch('cinder.db.sqlalchemy.api._volume_type_get_full')
+    def test_get_by_id_with_projects(self, volume_type_get):
+        projects = [models.VolumeTypeProjects(project_id=fake.PROJECT_ID),
+                    models.VolumeTypeProjects(project_id=fake.PROJECT2_ID)]
+        db_volume_type = fake_volume.fake_db_volume_type(projects=projects)
+        volume_type_get.return_value = db_volume_type
+        volume_type = objects.VolumeType.get_by_id(self.context,
+                                                   fake.VOLUME_TYPE_ID)
+        db_volume_type['projects'] = [p.project_id for p in projects]
+        self._compare(self, db_volume_type, volume_type)
+
+    @mock.patch('cinder.db.sqlalchemy.api._volume_type_get_full')
+    def test_get_by_id_with_string_projects(self, volume_type_get):
+        projects = [fake.PROJECT_ID, fake.PROJECT2_ID]
+        db_volume_type = fake_volume.fake_db_volume_type(projects=projects)
+        volume_type_get.return_value = db_volume_type
+        volume_type = objects.VolumeType.get_by_id(self.context,
+                                                   fake.VOLUME_TYPE_ID)
+        self._compare(self, db_volume_type, volume_type)
+
     @mock.patch('cinder.db.sqlalchemy.api._volume_type_get_full')
     def test_get_by_id_null_spec(self, volume_type_get):
         db_volume_type = fake_volume.fake_db_volume_type(
diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/test_qos_specs.py b/cinder/tests/unit/test_qos_specs.py
index cb89497d50d..69380c5e96e 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/test_qos_specs.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/test_qos_specs.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def fake_db_get_vol_type(vol_type_number=1):
             'description': 'desc',
             'deleted': False,
             'is_public': True,
-            'projects': None,
+            'projects': [],
             'extra_specs': None}