diff --git a/elements/openstack-db/first-boot.d/50-openstack-db b/elements/openstack-db/first-boot.d/50-openstack-db
index c8ae4669..ed858587 100755
--- a/elements/openstack-db/first-boot.d/50-openstack-db
+++ b/elements/openstack-db/first-boot.d/50-openstack-db
@@ -23,3 +23,4 @@ glance-manage db_sync
 
 create-os-db ovs_quantum quantum $db_pass
 
+
diff --git a/elements/os-svc-install/bin/os-db-create b/elements/os-svc-install/bin/os-db-create
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..7e27d50c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/os-svc-install/bin/os-db-create
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -eu
+
+function create_db {
+  local sql="
+    drop database if exists $1;
+    create database if not exists $1;
+    grant all on $1.* to '$2'@'localhost' identified by '$3';
+    grant all on $1.* to '$2'@'%'         identified by '$3';
+    flush privileges;"
+  echo "$sql" | mysql
+}
+
+if [ $# -lt 3 ]; then
+  echo "Usage: os-db-create DB_NAME DB_USER DB_PASS"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+create_db $*
diff --git a/elements/os-svc-install/bin/os-svc-daemon b/elements/os-svc-install/bin/os-svc-daemon
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..87c59461
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/os-svc-install/bin/os-svc-daemon
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -eu
+
+
+function install_upstart {
+  local name=$1
+  local user=$2
+  local cmd=$3
+  shift; shift; shift
+  local args=$*
+  cat > /etc/init/$name.conf <<EOF
+start on runlevel [2345]
+stop on runlevel [016]
+
+pre-start script
+  mkdir -p /var/run/$user
+  chown -R $user:$user /var/run/$user
+end script
+
+respawn
+exec sudo -u $user $cmd $args
+EOF
+}
+
+if [ $# -lt 4 ]; then
+  echo "Usage: os-svc-daemon DAEMON_NAME USER COMMAND [ARG[ARG[...]]]"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# TODO: check what system we are on, and install
+#       systemv instead, if appropriate.
+install_upstart $*
diff --git a/elements/os-svc-install/bin/os-svc-install b/elements/os-svc-install/bin/os-svc-install
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..c6d5e186
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/os-svc-install/bin/os-svc-install
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -eux
+
+pypi_mirror=http://pypi.openstack.org/
+pip_install="pip install -i $pypi_mirror "
+
+function install-os-service() {
+  local user=$1
+  local repo=$2
+  local branch=$3
+
+  id $user || useradd $user --system -d /var/run/$user -s /bin/false
+
+  mkdir -p /etc/$user
+  chown -R $user:$user /etc/$user
+
+  local svc_root=/opt/stack/$user
+  if [ ! -e $svc_root ]; then
+    git clone --depth=1 -b $branch $repo $svc_root
+    [ -e $svc_root/tools/pip-requires ] && $pip_install -r $svc_root/tools/pip-requires
+    $pip_install $svc_root
+  else
+    expected_rev=$(git --git-dir $svc_root/.git rev-parse $branch)
+    actual_rev=$(git --git-dir $svc_root/.git show | head -1 | awk '{print $2}')
+    if [ "$expected_rev" -ne "$actual_rev" ]; then
+      echo "ERROR: $repo exists and is not on rev $branch"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  fi
+}
+
+
+function usage() {
+  echo "options:"
+  echo "  -h   show usage and exit"
+  echo "  -r   service's git repo url"
+  echo "  -b   repo branch or ref (default 'master')"
+  echo "  -u   name of the service run-as user"
+  exit 0
+}
+
+while getopts r:u:c:n:h:b: opt; do
+  case "$opt" in
+    u)  user=$OPTARG;;
+    h)  usage;;
+    r)  repo=$OPTARG;;
+    b)  branch=$OPTARG;;
+    \?) usage;;
+  esac
+done
+
+branch=${branch:-master}
+
+if [[ -z "$user" || -z "$repo" ]]; then
+  echo "missing required parameter"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+install-packages python-dev python-pip git-core python-setuptools gcc libc6-dev libxml2-dev libxslt-dev
+install-os-service "$user" "$repo" "$branch"
diff --git a/elements/os-svc-install/install.d/04-os-svc-install b/elements/os-svc-install/install.d/04-os-svc-install
deleted file mode 100755
index aac3b3dd..00000000
--- a/elements/os-svc-install/install.d/04-os-svc-install
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-set -eux
-
-install-packages python-pip
-
-install -m 0755 -o root -g root $(dirname $0)/../os-svc-install /usr/local/bin/os-svc-install
-
diff --git a/elements/os-svc-install/os-svc-install b/elements/os-svc-install/os-svc-install
deleted file mode 100755
index 8a1483a0..00000000
--- a/elements/os-svc-install/os-svc-install
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,68 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-set -e
-
-
-
-function install-os-upstart() {
-  local svc_name=$1
-  local svc_user=$2
-  local cmd=$3
-  local f=/etc/init/$svc_name.conf
-
-  cat > $f <<EOF
-description "OpenStack $svc_name service"
-start on runlevel [2345]
-stop on runlevel [016]
-
-setuid $svc_user
-
-respawn
-
-exec $cmd
-EOF
-}
-
-function install-os-service() {
-  local svc_name=$1
-  local svc_user=$2
-  local svc_repo=$3
-
-  local os_root=/opt/stack
-  mkdir -p $os_root
-
-  id $svc_user || useradd $svc_user --system -d $os_root -s /bin/false
-
-  pip install --src $os_root -e git+$svc_repo#egg=$svc_name
-}
-
-
-function usage() {
-  echo "options:"
-  echo "  -h   show usage and exit"
-  echo "  -r   service's git repo url"
-  echo "  -n   service name"
-  echo "  -u   name of the service run-as user"
-  echo "  -c   command line to start service"
-  exit 0
-}
-
-while getopts r:u:c:n:h opt; do
-  case "$opt" in
-    u)  user=$OPTARG;;
-    h)  usage;;
-    r)  repo=$OPTARG;;
-    n)  name=$OPTARG;;
-    c)  cmd=$OPTARG;;
-    \?) usage;;
-  esac
-done
-
-if [[ -z "$user" || -z "$repo" || -z "$cmd" || -z "$name" ]]; then
-  echo "missing required parameter"
-  exit 1
-fi
-
-install-packages python-dev python-pip git-core python-setuptools gcc libc6-dev libxml2-dev libxslt-dev
-install-os-service "$name" "$user" "$repo"
-install-os-upstart "$name" "$user" "$cmd"
-
diff --git a/elements/os-svc-install/pre-install.d/04-os-svc-install b/elements/os-svc-install/pre-install.d/04-os-svc-install
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..9fbb5902
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elements/os-svc-install/pre-install.d/04-os-svc-install
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -eux
+
+install-packages python-pip
+
+install -m 0755 -o root -g root $(dirname $0)/../bin/os-svc-install /usr/local/bin/os-svc-install
+install -m 0755 -o root -g root $(dirname $0)/../bin/os-svc-daemon  /usr/local/bin/os-svc-daemon
+install -m 0755 -o root -g root $(dirname $0)/../bin/os-db-create   /usr/local/bin/os-db-create
+