diff --git a/openstack/clustering/v1/_proxy.py b/openstack/clustering/v1/_proxy.py
index 01602607d..95e444b85 100644
--- a/openstack/clustering/v1/_proxy.py
+++ b/openstack/clustering/v1/_proxy.py
@@ -1089,7 +1089,7 @@ class Proxy(proxy2.BaseProxy):
         """
         return self._list(_event.Event, paginated=True, **query)
 
-    def wait_for_status(self, resource, status, failures=[], interval=2,
+    def wait_for_status(self, resource, status, failures=None, interval=2,
                         wait=120):
         """Wait for a resource to be in a particular status.
 
@@ -1111,6 +1111,7 @@ class Proxy(proxy2.BaseProxy):
         :raises: :class:`~AttributeError` if the resource does not have a
                 ``status`` attribute.
         """
+        failures = [] if failures is None else failures
         return resource2.wait_for_status(self, resource, status,
                                          failures, interval, wait)
 
diff --git a/openstack/proxy.py b/openstack/proxy.py
index f2f286ce5..739301b57 100644
--- a/openstack/proxy.py
+++ b/openstack/proxy.py
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ class BaseProxy(_adapter.OpenStackSDKAdapter):
 
         return res.head(self)
 
-    def wait_for_status(self, value, status, failures=[], interval=2,
+    def wait_for_status(self, value, status, failures=None, interval=2,
                         wait=120):
         """Wait for a resource to be in a particular status.
 
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ class BaseProxy(_adapter.OpenStackSDKAdapter):
         :raises: :class:`~AttributeError` if the resource does not have a
                  status attribute
         """
+        failures = [] if failures is None else failures
         return resource.wait_for_status(self, value, status,
                                         failures, interval, wait)
 
diff --git a/openstack/proxy2.py b/openstack/proxy2.py
index c6295699f..9db09fe41 100644
--- a/openstack/proxy2.py
+++ b/openstack/proxy2.py
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ class BaseProxy(_adapter.OpenStackSDKAdapter):
                                "service-specific subclasses should expose "
                                "this as needed. See resource2.wait_for_status "
                                "for this behavior"))
-    def wait_for_status(self, value, status, failures=[], interval=2,
+    def wait_for_status(self, value, status, failures=None, interval=2,
                         wait=120):
         """Wait for a resource to be in a particular status.
 
@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ class BaseProxy(_adapter.OpenStackSDKAdapter):
         :raises: :class:`~AttributeError` if the resource does not have a
                  status attribute
         """
+        failures = [] if failures is None else failures
         return resource2.wait_for_status(self, value, status,
                                          failures, interval, wait)