diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml
index 6a40af1..6aa9a6e 100644
--- a/config.yaml
+++ b/config.yaml
@@ -34,3 +34,8 @@ options:
     type: boolean
     description: |
       Optionally restrict Ceph key permissions to access pools as required.
+  rbd-pool-name:
+    default:
+    type: string
+    description: |
+      Optionally specify an existing rbd pool that cinder should map to.
diff --git a/hooks/cinder_contexts.py b/hooks/cinder_contexts.py
index 3ebb162..4a9c736 100644
--- a/hooks/cinder_contexts.py
+++ b/hooks/cinder_contexts.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 from charmhelpers.core.hookenv import (
+    config,
     service_name,
     is_relation_made,
     leader_get,
@@ -51,9 +52,13 @@ class CephSubordinateContext(OSContextGenerator):
         else:
             volume_driver = 'cinder.volume.driver.RBDDriver'
 
+        if config('rbd-pool-name'):
+            pool_name = config('rbd-pool-name')
+        else:
+            pool_name = service
         section = {service: [('volume_backend_name', service),
                              ('volume_driver', volume_driver),
-                             ('rbd_pool', service),
+                             ('rbd_pool', pool_name),
                              ('rbd_user', service),
                              ('rbd_secret_uuid', leader_get('secret-uuid')),
                              ('rbd_ceph_conf', ceph_config_file())]}
diff --git a/unit_tests/test_cinder_contexts.py b/unit_tests/test_cinder_contexts.py
index 100fe18..b26b6a3 100644
--- a/unit_tests/test_cinder_contexts.py
+++ b/unit_tests/test_cinder_contexts.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from test_utils import (
 )
 
 TO_PATCH = [
+    'config',
     'is_relation_made',
     'service_name',
     'get_os_codename_package',
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ class TestCinderContext(CharmTestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
         super(TestCinderContext, self).setUp(contexts, TO_PATCH)
+        self.config.side_effect = self.test_config.get
         self.leader_get.return_value = 'libvirt-uuid'
         self.maxDiff = None
 
@@ -111,3 +113,29 @@ class TestCinderContext(CharmTestCase):
                     }
                 }
             }})
+
+    def test_ceph_explicit_pool_name(self):
+        self.test_config.set('rbd-pool-name', 'special_pool')
+        self.is_relation_made.return_value = True
+        self.get_os_codename_package.return_value = "mitaka"
+        service = 'mycinder'
+        self.service_name.return_value = service
+        self.assertEqual(
+            contexts.CephSubordinateContext()(),
+            {"cinder": {
+                "/etc/cinder/cinder.conf": {
+                    "sections": {
+                        service: [
+                            ('volume_backend_name', service),
+                            ('volume_driver',
+                             'cinder.volume.drivers.rbd.RBDDriver'),
+                            ('rbd_pool', 'special_pool'),
+                            ('rbd_user', service),
+                            ('rbd_secret_uuid', 'libvirt-uuid'),
+                            ('rbd_ceph_conf',
+                             '/var/lib/charm/mycinder/ceph.conf'),
+                            ('report_discard_supported', True)
+                        ]
+                    }
+                }
+            }})