diff --git a/py/test/dsession/dsession.py b/py/test/dsession/dsession.py
index 177544117..54a38c8e7 100644
--- a/py/test/dsession/dsession.py
+++ b/py/test/dsession/dsession.py
@@ -170,7 +170,11 @@ class DSession(Session):
         self.host2pending[host] = []
 
     def removehost(self, host):
-        pending = self.host2pending.pop(host)
+        try:
+            pending = self.host2pending.pop(host)
+        except KeyError:
+            # this happens if we didn't receive a hostup event yet
+            return []
         for item in pending:
             del self.item2host[item]
         return pending
diff --git a/py/test/dsession/testing/test_dsession.py b/py/test/dsession/testing/test_dsession.py
index da6abf779..3daaaae5a 100644
--- a/py/test/dsession/testing/test_dsession.py
+++ b/py/test/dsession/testing/test_dsession.py
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ class TestDSession:
         pending = session.removehost(host)
         assert pending == [item]
         assert item not in session.item2host
-        py.test.raises(Exception, "session.removehost(host)")
+        l = session.removehost(host)
+        assert not l 
 
     def test_senditems_removeitems(self, testdir):
         item = testdir.getitem("def test_func(): pass")