diff --git a/qa/ganeti-qa.py b/qa/ganeti-qa.py
index 1c2f74635e0ce8aa8b4d0fc4c051695762885f55..027c065905456fb7889c0ffd2acbb76426be02f7 100755
--- a/qa/ganeti-qa.py
+++ b/qa/ganeti-qa.py
@@ -201,16 +201,17 @@ def RunCommonInstanceTests(instance):
   if qa_config.TestEnabled('instance-rename'):
     rename_source = instance["name"]
     rename_target = qa_config.get("rename", None)
-    if rename_target is None:
-      print qa_utils.FormatError("Can rename instance, 'rename' entry is"
-                                 " missing from configuration")
-    else:
-      RunTest(qa_instance.TestInstanceShutdown, instance)
+    RunTest(qa_instance.TestInstanceShutdown, instance)
+    # perform instance rename to the same name
+    RunTest(qa_instance.TestInstanceRename, rename_source, rename_source)
+    RunTestIf("rapi", qa_rapi.TestRapiInstanceRename, rename_source, rename_source)
+    if rename_target is not None:
+      # perform instance rename to a different name, if we have one configured
       RunTest(qa_instance.TestInstanceRename, rename_source, rename_target)
       RunTest(qa_instance.TestInstanceRename, rename_target, rename_source)
       RunTestIf("rapi", qa_rapi.TestRapiInstanceRename, rename_source, rename_target)
       RunTestIf("rapi", qa_rapi.TestRapiInstanceRename, rename_target, rename_source)
-      RunTest(qa_instance.TestInstanceStartup, instance)
+    RunTest(qa_instance.TestInstanceStartup, instance)
 
   RunTestIf("tags", qa_tags.TestInstanceTags, instance)