diff --git a/charm-helpers.yaml b/charm-helpers.yaml
index 3000e7c5..f73b209a 100644
--- a/charm-helpers.yaml
+++ b/charm-helpers.yaml
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ include:
     - contrib.hahelpers:
         - apache
         - cluster
+    - contrib.network.ovs
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/network/__init__.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/network/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/network/ovs/__init__.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/network/ovs/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..983074fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/network/ovs/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+''' Helpers for interacting with OpenvSwitch '''
+import subprocess
+import os
+from charmhelpers.core.hookenv import (
+    log, WARNING
+)
+from charmhelpers.core.host import (
+    service
+)
+
+
+def add_bridge(name):
+    ''' Add the named bridge to openvswitch '''
+    log('Creating bridge {}'.format(name))
+    subprocess.check_call(["ovs-vsctl", "--", "--may-exist", "add-br", name])
+
+
+def del_bridge(name):
+    ''' Delete the named bridge from openvswitch '''
+    log('Deleting bridge {}'.format(name))
+    subprocess.check_call(["ovs-vsctl", "--", "--if-exists", "del-br", name])
+
+
+def add_bridge_port(name, port):
+    ''' Add a port to the named openvswitch bridge '''
+    log('Adding port {} to bridge {}'.format(port, name))
+    subprocess.check_call(["ovs-vsctl", "--", "--may-exist", "add-port",
+                           name, port])
+    subprocess.check_call(["ip", "link", "set", port, "up"])
+
+
+def del_bridge_port(name, port):
+    ''' Delete a port from the named openvswitch bridge '''
+    log('Deleting port {} from bridge {}'.format(port, name))
+    subprocess.check_call(["ovs-vsctl", "--", "--if-exists", "del-port",
+                           name, port])
+    subprocess.check_call(["ip", "link", "set", port, "down"])
+
+
+def set_manager(manager):
+    ''' Set the controller for the local openvswitch '''
+    log('Setting manager for local ovs to {}'.format(manager))
+    subprocess.check_call(['ovs-vsctl', 'set-manager',
+                           'ssl:{}'.format(manager)])
+
+
+CERT_PATH = '/etc/openvswitch/ovsclient-cert.pem'
+
+
+def get_certificate():
+    ''' Read openvswitch certificate from disk '''
+    if os.path.exists(CERT_PATH):
+        log('Reading ovs certificate from {}'.format(CERT_PATH))
+        with open(CERT_PATH, 'r') as cert:
+            full_cert = cert.read()
+            begin_marker = "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----"
+            end_marker = "-----END CERTIFICATE-----"
+            begin_index = full_cert.find(begin_marker)
+            end_index = full_cert.rfind(end_marker)
+            if end_index == -1 or begin_index == -1:
+                raise RuntimeError("Certificate does not contain valid begin"
+                                   " and end markers.")
+            full_cert = full_cert[begin_index:(end_index + len(end_marker))]
+            return full_cert
+    else:
+        log('Certificate not found', level=WARNING)
+        return None
+
+
+def full_restart():
+    ''' Full restart and reload of openvswitch '''
+    service('force-reload-kmod', 'openvswitch-switch')
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/storage/linux/ceph.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/storage/linux/ceph.py
index 10e665d4..9bb9530c 100644
--- a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/storage/linux/ceph.py
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/storage/linux/ceph.py
@@ -97,12 +97,13 @@ def pool_exists(service, name):
         return name in out
 
 
-def get_osds():
+def get_osds(service):
     '''
     Return a list of all Ceph Object Storage Daemons
     currently in the cluster
     '''
-    return json.loads(check_output(['ceph', 'osd', 'ls', '--format=json']))
+    return json.loads(check_output(['ceph', '--id', service,
+                                    'osd', 'ls', '--format=json']))
 
 
 def create_pool(service, name, replicas=2):
@@ -113,17 +114,17 @@ def create_pool(service, name, replicas=2):
         return
     # Calculate the number of placement groups based
     # on upstream recommended best practices.
-    pgnum = (len(get_osds()) * 100 / replicas)
+    pgnum = (len(get_osds(service)) * 100 / replicas)
     cmd = [
         'ceph', '--id', service,
         'osd', 'pool', 'create',
-        name, pgnum
+        name, str(pgnum)
     ]
     check_call(cmd)
     cmd = [
         'ceph', '--id', service,
-        'osd', 'set', name,
-        'size', replicas
+        'osd', 'pool', 'set', name,
+        'size', str(replicas)
     ]
     check_call(cmd)
 
diff --git a/hooks/nova_compute_context.py b/hooks/nova_compute_context.py
index 8bd2d25b..c2c29f6c 100644
--- a/hooks/nova_compute_context.py
+++ b/hooks/nova_compute_context.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from charmhelpers.core.hookenv import (
 )
 
 from charmhelpers.contrib.openstack.utils import get_host_ip, os_release
+from charmhelpers.contrib.network.ovs import add_bridge
 
 
 # This is just a label and it must be consistent across
@@ -311,14 +312,7 @@ class NeutronComputeContext(context.NeutronContext):
     def _ensure_bridge(self):
         if not service_running('openvswitch-switch'):
             service_start('openvswitch-switch')
-
-        ovs_output = check_output(['ovs-vsctl', 'show'])
-        for ln in ovs_output.split('\n'):
-            if OVS_BRIDGE in ln.strip():
-                log('Found OVS bridge: %s.' % OVS_BRIDGE)
-                return
-        log('Creating new OVS bridge: %s.' % OVS_BRIDGE)
-        check_call(['ovs-vsctl', 'add-br', OVS_BRIDGE])
+        add_bridge(OVS_BRIDGE)
 
     def ovs_ctxt(self):
         # In addition to generating config context, ensure the OVS service