diff --git a/hooks/cinder_utils.py b/hooks/cinder_utils.py
index ee60b426..41e18565 100644
--- a/hooks/cinder_utils.py
+++ b/hooks/cinder_utils.py
@@ -319,6 +319,16 @@ def configure_lvm_storage(block_devices, volume_group, overwrite=False):
             extend_lvm_volume_group(volume_group, new_device)
 
 
+def lvm_zap_disk(block_device):
+    '''
+    Clear a block device of partition table. Relies on sgdisk, which is
+    installed as pat of the 'gdisk' package in Ubuntu.
+
+    :param block_device: str: Full path of block device to clean.
+    '''
+    subprocess.check_call(['sgdisk', '--zap-all', block_device])
+
+
 def clean_storage(block_device):
     '''Ensures a block device is clean.  That is:
         - unmounted
@@ -338,7 +348,7 @@ def clean_storage(block_device):
         deactivate_lvm_volume_group(block_device)
         remove_lvm_physical_volume(block_device)
 
-    zap_disk(block_device)
+    lvm_zap_disk(block_device)
 
 
 def _parse_block_device(block_device):
diff --git a/unit_tests/test_cinder_utils.py b/unit_tests/test_cinder_utils.py
index b6cf09e4..7c0fb2f5 100644
--- a/unit_tests/test_cinder_utils.py
+++ b/unit_tests/test_cinder_utils.py
@@ -172,29 +172,32 @@ class TestCinderUtils(CharmTestCase):
         ])
         self.assertEquals(cinder_utils.restart_map(), ex_map)
 
-    def test_clean_storage_unmount(self):
+    @patch.object(cinder_utils, 'lvm_zap_disk')
+    def test_clean_storage_unmount(self, zap_disk):
         'It unmounts block device when cleaning storage'
         self.is_lvm_physical_volume.return_value = False
-        self.zap_disk.return_value = True
         self.mounts.return_value = MOUNTS
         cinder_utils.clean_storage('/dev/vdb')
         self.umount.called_with('/dev/vdb', True)
+        zap_disk.assert_called_with('/dev/vdb')
 
-    def test_clean_storage_lvm_wipe(self):
+    @patch.object(cinder_utils, 'lvm_zap_disk')
+    def test_clean_storage_lvm_wipe(self, zap_disk):
         'It removes traces of LVM when cleaning storage'
         self.mounts.return_value = []
         self.is_lvm_physical_volume.return_value = True
         cinder_utils.clean_storage('/dev/vdb')
         self.remove_lvm_physical_volume.assert_called_with('/dev/vdb')
         self.deactivate_lvm_volume_group.assert_called_with('/dev/vdb')
-        self.zap_disk.assert_called_with('/dev/vdb')
+        zap_disk.assert_called_with('/dev/vdb')
 
-    def test_clean_storage_zap_disk(self):
+    @patch.object(cinder_utils, 'lvm_zap_disk')
+    def test_clean_storage_zap_disk(self, zap_disk):
         'It removes traces of LVM when cleaning storage'
         self.mounts.return_value = []
         self.is_lvm_physical_volume.return_value = False
         cinder_utils.clean_storage('/dev/vdb')
-        self.zap_disk.assert_called_with('/dev/vdb')
+        zap_disk.assert_called_with('/dev/vdb')
 
     def test_parse_block_device(self):
         self.assertTrue(cinder_utils._parse_block_device(None),