diff --git a/nova/compute/api.py b/nova/compute/api.py
index ca6d9e58a64..6db75882369 100644
--- a/nova/compute/api.py
+++ b/nova/compute/api.py
@@ -2270,6 +2270,10 @@ def create(
                 msg = _('The requested availability zone is not available')
                 raise exception.InvalidRequest(msg)
 
+        if scheduler_hints:
+            scheduler_hints = {k: v for k, v in scheduler_hints.items()
+                               if not k.startswith('_nova')}
+
         filter_properties = scheduler_utils.build_filter_properties(
             scheduler_hints, forced_host, forced_node, flavor)
 
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_api.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_api.py
index f68b5d774b2..4dd95f797b4 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_api.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_api.py
@@ -219,6 +219,24 @@ def _obj_to_list_obj(self, list_obj, obj):
         list_obj.obj_reset_changes()
         return list_obj
 
+    @mock.patch('nova.scheduler.utils.build_filter_properties')
+    def test_create_strips_internal_scheduler_hints(self,
+                                                    mock_build_filter):
+        mock_build_filter.side_effect = (
+            test.TestingException('stop early'))
+        flavor = self._create_flavor()
+        self.assertRaises(
+            test.TestingException,
+            self.compute_api.create,
+            self.context, flavor, 'image_id',
+            scheduler_hints={
+                '_nova_check_type': 'rebuild',
+                '_nova_future': 'something',
+                'group': 'valid-group-uuid',
+            })
+        actual_hints = mock_build_filter.call_args[0][0]
+        self.assertEqual({'group': 'valid-group-uuid'}, actual_hints)
+
     @mock.patch(
         'nova.network.neutron.API.is_remote_managed_port',
         new=mock.Mock(return_value=False),