diff --git a/storage/swift.py b/storage/swift.py
index a1cb32b07..73f743290 100644
--- a/storage/swift.py
+++ b/storage/swift.py
@@ -26,14 +26,6 @@ class SwiftStorage(BaseStorage):
     self._os_options = os_options or {}
 
     self._initialized = False
-    self._swift_connection = None
-
-  def _initialize(self):
-    if self._initialized:
-      return
-
-    self._initialized = True
-    self._swift_connection = self._get_connection()
 
   def _get_connection(self):
     return Connection(
@@ -69,14 +61,13 @@ class SwiftStorage(BaseStorage):
     return path
 
   def _get_container(self, path):
-    self._initialize()
     path = self._normalize_path(path)
 
     if path and not path.endswith('/'):
         path += '/'
 
     try:
-       _, container = self._swift_connection.get_container(
+       _, container = self._get_connection().get_container(
             container=self._swift_container,
             prefix=path, delimiter='/')
        return container
@@ -85,10 +76,9 @@ class SwiftStorage(BaseStorage):
       raise IOError('Unknown path: %s' % path)
 
   def _get_object(self, path, chunk_size=None):
-    self._initialize()
     path = self._normalize_path(path)
     try:
-      _, obj = self._swift_connection.get_object(self._swift_container, path,
+      _, obj = self._get_connection().get_object(self._swift_container, path,
           resp_chunk_size=chunk_size)
       return obj
     except Exception:
@@ -96,7 +86,6 @@ class SwiftStorage(BaseStorage):
       raise IOError('Path %s not found' % path)
 
   def _put_object(self, path, content, chunk=None, content_type=None, content_encoding=None):
-    self._initialize()
     path = self._normalize_path(path)
     headers = {}
 
@@ -104,7 +93,7 @@ class SwiftStorage(BaseStorage):
       headers['Content-Encoding'] = content_encoding
 
     try:
-      self._swift_connection.put_object(self._swift_container, path, content,
+      self._get_connection().put_object(self._swift_container, path, content,
                                         chunk_size=chunk, content_type=content_type,
                                         headers=headers)
     except ClientException:
@@ -116,10 +105,9 @@ class SwiftStorage(BaseStorage):
       raise IOError("Could not put content: %s" % path)
 
   def _head_object(self, path):
-    self._initialize()
     path = self._normalize_path(path)
     try:
-      return self._swift_connection.head_object(self._swift_container, path)
+      return self._get_connection().head_object(self._swift_container, path)
     except Exception:
       logger.exception('Could not head object: %s', path)
       return None
@@ -171,10 +159,9 @@ class SwiftStorage(BaseStorage):
     return bool(self._head_object(path))
 
   def remove(self, path):
-    self._initialize()
     path = self._normalize_path(path)
     try:
-      self._swift_connection.delete_object(self._swift_container, path)
+      self._get_connection().delete_object(self._swift_container, path)
     except Exception:
       raise IOError('Cannot delete path: %s' % path)