diff --git a/scheduler/filter/filter.go b/scheduler/filter/filter.go
index 3e56d5dfcc..c17419acc4 100644
--- a/scheduler/filter/filter.go
+++ b/scheduler/filter/filter.go
@@ -54,17 +54,7 @@ func New(names []string) ([]Filter, error) {
 }
 
 // ApplyFilters applies a set of filters in batch.
-func ApplyFilters(filters []Filter, config *cluster.ContainerConfig, nodes []*node.Node) ([]*node.Node, error) {
-	candidates, err := applyFilters(filters, config, nodes, true)
-
-	if err != nil {
-		candidates, err = applyFilters(filters, config, nodes, false)
-	}
-
-	return candidates, err
-}
-
-func applyFilters(filters []Filter, config *cluster.ContainerConfig, nodes []*node.Node, soft bool) ([]*node.Node, error) {
+func ApplyFilters(filters []Filter, config *cluster.ContainerConfig, nodes []*node.Node, soft bool) ([]*node.Node, error) {
 	var (
 		err        error
 		candidates = nodes
diff --git a/scheduler/filter/filters_test.go b/scheduler/filter/filters_test.go
index 0de71f086e..55c42f5501 100644
--- a/scheduler/filter/filters_test.go
+++ b/scheduler/filter/filters_test.go
@@ -63,7 +63,10 @@ func TestApplyFilters(t *testing.T) {
 
 	//Tests for Soft affinity, it should be considered as last
 	config := cluster.BuildContainerConfig(dockerclient.ContainerConfig{Env: []string{"affinity:image==~image-0:tag3"}})
-	result, err = ApplyFilters(filters, config, nodes)
+	result, err = ApplyFilters(filters, config, nodes, true)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Len(t, result, 0)
+	result, err = ApplyFilters(filters, config, nodes, false)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Len(t, result, 1)
 
diff --git a/scheduler/scheduler.go b/scheduler/scheduler.go
index 2b11870491..86c608f6e4 100644
--- a/scheduler/scheduler.go
+++ b/scheduler/scheduler.go
@@ -34,7 +34,16 @@ func New(strategy strategy.PlacementStrategy, filters []filter.Filter) *Schedule
 // SelectNodesForContainer will return a list of nodes where the container can
 // be scheduled, sorted by order or preference.
 func (s *Scheduler) SelectNodesForContainer(nodes []*node.Node, config *cluster.ContainerConfig) ([]*node.Node, error) {
-	accepted, err := filter.ApplyFilters(s.filters, config, nodes)
+	candidates, err := s.selectNodesForContainer(nodes, config, true)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		candidates, err = s.selectNodesForContainer(nodes, config, false)
+	}
+	return candidates, err
+}
+
+func (s *Scheduler) selectNodesForContainer(nodes []*node.Node, config *cluster.ContainerConfig, soft bool) ([]*node.Node, error) {
+	accepted, err := filter.ApplyFilters(s.filters, config, nodes, soft)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}