diff --git a/storage/cloud.py b/storage/cloud.py
index d333d0358..cc2750dae 100644
--- a/storage/cloud.py
+++ b/storage/cloud.py
@@ -224,6 +224,8 @@ class _CloudStorage(BaseStorage):
     return k.etag[1:-1][:7]
 
   def copy_to(self, destination, path):
+    self._initialize_cloud_conn()
+
     # First try to copy directly via boto, but only if the storages are the
     # same type, with the same access information.
     if (self.__class__ == destination.__class__ and
@@ -235,6 +237,7 @@ class _CloudStorage(BaseStorage):
       source_path = self._init_path(path)
       source_key = self._key_class(self._cloud_bucket, source_path)
 
+      destination._initialize_cloud_conn()
       dest_path = destination._init_path(path)
       source_key.copy(destination._cloud_bucket, dest_path)
       return