diff --git a/swift/common/internal_client.py b/swift/common/internal_client.py
index 3d777b073f..303a1a91cf 100644
--- a/swift/common/internal_client.py
+++ b/swift/common/internal_client.py
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ class InternalClient(object):
 
     def __init__(self, conf_path, user_agent, request_tries,
                  allow_modify_pipeline=False):
+        if request_tries < 1:
+            raise ValueError('request_tries must be positive')
         self.app = loadapp(conf_path,
                            allow_modify_pipeline=allow_modify_pipeline)
         self.user_agent = user_agent
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_internal_client.py b/test/unit/common/test_internal_client.py
index a1ee399740..180fb92dfd 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_internal_client.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_internal_client.py
@@ -290,17 +290,20 @@ class TestInternalClient(unittest.TestCase):
 
         conf_path = 'some_path'
         app = App(self, conf_path)
-        old_loadapp = internal_client.loadapp
-        internal_client.loadapp = app.load
 
         user_agent = 'some_user_agent'
-        request_tries = 'some_request_tries'
+        request_tries = 123
 
-        try:
+        with mock.patch.object(internal_client, 'loadapp', app.load), \
+                self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            # First try with a bad arg
+            client = internal_client.InternalClient(
+                conf_path, user_agent, request_tries=0)
+        self.assertEqual(0, app.load_called)
+
+        with mock.patch.object(internal_client, 'loadapp', app.load):
             client = internal_client.InternalClient(
                 conf_path, user_agent, request_tries)
-        finally:
-            internal_client.loadapp = old_loadapp
 
         self.assertEqual(1, app.load_called)
         self.assertEqual(app, client.app)