diff --git a/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/amulet/deployment.py b/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/amulet/deployment.py
index e0e850d..d859d36 100644
--- a/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/amulet/deployment.py
+++ b/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/amulet/deployment.py
@@ -25,25 +25,30 @@ class AmuletDeployment(object):
 
            Add services to the deployment where this_service is the local charm
            that we're testing and other_services are the other services that
-           are being used in the amulet tests.
+           are being used in the local amulet tests.
            """
-        name, units, location = range(3)
-
-        if this_service[name] != os.path.basename(os.getcwd()):
-            s = this_service[name]
+        if this_service['name'] != os.path.basename(os.getcwd()):
+            s = this_service['name']
             msg = "The charm's root directory name needs to be {}".format(s)
             amulet.raise_status(amulet.FAIL, msg=msg)
 
-        self.d.add(this_service[name], units=this_service[units])
+        if 'units' not in this_service:
+            this_service['units'] = 1
+
+        self.d.add(this_service['name'], units=this_service['units'])
 
         for svc in other_services:
-            if len(svc) > 2:
-                branch_location = svc[location]
+            if 'location' in svc:
+                branch_location = svc['location']
             elif self.series:
-                branch_location = 'cs:{}/{}'.format(self.series, svc[name]),
+                branch_location = 'cs:{}/{}'.format(self.series, svc['name']),
             else:
                 branch_location = None
-            self.d.add(svc[name], charm=branch_location, units=svc[units])
+
+            if 'units' not in svc:
+                svc['units'] = 1
+
+            self.d.add(svc['name'], charm=branch_location, units=svc['units'])
 
     def _add_relations(self, relations):
         """Add all of the relations for the services."""
diff --git a/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py b/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py
index 10d3b50..495ebdb 100644
--- a/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py
+++ b/tests/charmhelpers/contrib/openstack/amulet/deployment.py
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-from bzrlib.branch import Branch
-import os
-import re
 from charmhelpers.contrib.amulet.deployment import (
     AmuletDeployment
 )
@@ -13,62 +10,60 @@ class OpenStackAmuletDeployment(AmuletDeployment):
        that is specifically for use by OpenStack charms.
        """
 
-    def __init__(self, series=None, openstack=None, source=None):
+    def __init__(self, series=None, openstack=None, source=None, stable=True):
         """Initialize the deployment environment."""
         super(OpenStackAmuletDeployment, self).__init__(series)
         self.openstack = openstack
         self.source = source
-
-    def _is_dev_branch(self):
-        """Determine if branch being tested is a dev (i.e. next) branch."""
-        branch = Branch.open(os.getcwd())
-        parent = branch.get_parent()
-        pattern = re.compile("^.*/next/$")
-        if (pattern.match(parent)):
-            return True
-        else:
-            return False
+        self.stable = stable
+        # Note(coreycb): this needs to be changed when new next branches come out.
+        self.current_next = "trusty"
 
     def _determine_branch_locations(self, other_services):
         """Determine the branch locations for the other services.
 
-           If the branch being tested is a dev branch, then determine the
-           development branch locations for the other services. Otherwise,
-           the default charm store branches will be used."""
-        name = 0
-        if self._is_dev_branch():
-            updated_services = []
+           Determine if the local branch being tested is derived from its
+           stable or next (dev) branch, and based on this, use the corresonding
+           stable or next branches for the other_services."""
+        base_charms = ['mysql', 'mongodb', 'rabbitmq-server']
+
+        if self.stable:
             for svc in other_services:
-                if svc[name] in ['mysql', 'mongodb', 'rabbitmq-server']:
-                    location = 'lp:charms/{}'.format(svc[name])
+                temp = 'lp:charms/{}'
+                svc['location'] = temp.format(svc['name'])
+        else:
+            for svc in other_services:
+                if svc['name'] in base_charms:
+                    temp = 'lp:charms/{}'
+                    svc['location'] = temp.format(svc['name'])
                 else:
-                    temp = 'lp:~openstack-charmers/charms/trusty/{}/next'
-                    location = temp.format(svc[name])
-                updated_services.append(svc + (location,))
-            other_services = updated_services
+                    temp = 'lp:~openstack-charmers/charms/{}/{}/next'
+                    svc['location'] = temp.format(self.current_next,
+                                                  svc['name'])
         return other_services
 
     def _add_services(self, this_service, other_services):
         """Add services to the deployment and set openstack-origin/source."""
-        name = 0
         other_services = self._determine_branch_locations(other_services)
+
         super(OpenStackAmuletDeployment, self)._add_services(this_service,
                                                              other_services)
+
         services = other_services
         services.append(this_service)
         use_source = ['mysql', 'mongodb', 'rabbitmq-server', 'ceph']
 
         if self.openstack:
             for svc in services:
-                if svc[name] not in use_source:
+                if svc['name'] not in use_source:
                     config = {'openstack-origin': self.openstack}
-                    self.d.configure(svc[name], config)
+                    self.d.configure(svc['name'], config)
 
         if self.source:
             for svc in services:
-                if svc[name] in use_source:
+                if svc['name'] in use_source:
                     config = {'source': self.source}
-                    self.d.configure(svc[name], config)
+                    self.d.configure(svc['name'], config)
 
     def _configure_services(self, configs):
         """Configure all of the services."""