diff --git a/heat/common/config.py b/heat/common/config.py
index a37a9043f4..80e756c3dd 100644
--- a/heat/common/config.py
+++ b/heat/common/config.py
@@ -156,6 +156,38 @@ engine_opts = [
                 help=_('Enables engine with convergence architecture. All '
                        'stacks with this option will be created using '
                        'convergence engine .')),
+    cfg.StrOpt('default_software_config_transport',
+               choices=['POLL_SERVER_CFN',
+                        'POLL_SERVER_HEAT',
+                        'POLL_TEMP_URL'],
+               default='POLL_SERVER_CFN',
+               help=_('Template default for how the server should receive the '
+                      'metadata required for software configuration. '
+                      'POLL_SERVER_CFN will allow calls to the cfn API action '
+                      'DescribeStackResource authenticated with the provided '
+                      'keypair (requires enabled heat-api-cfn). '
+                      'POLL_SERVER_HEAT will allow calls to the '
+                      'Heat API resource-show using the provided keystone '
+                      'credentials (requires keystone v3 API, and configured '
+                      'stack_user_* config options). '
+                      'POLL_TEMP_URL will create and populate a '
+                      'Swift TempURL with metadata for polling (requires '
+                      'object-store endpoint which supports TempURL).')),
+    cfg.StrOpt('default_deployment_signal_transport',
+               choices=['CFN_SIGNAL',
+                        'TEMP_URL_SIGNAL',
+                        'HEAT_SIGNAL'],
+               default='CFN_SIGNAL',
+               help=_('Template default for how the server should signal to '
+                      'heat with the deployment output values. CFN_SIGNAL '
+                      'will allow an HTTP POST to a CFN keypair signed URL '
+                      '(requires enabled heat-api-cfn). '
+                      'TEMP_URL_SIGNAL will create a Swift TempURL to be '
+                      'signaled via HTTP PUT (requires object-store endpoint '
+                      'which supports TempURL). '
+                      'HEAT_SIGNAL will allow calls to the Heat API '
+                      'resource-signal using the provided keystone '
+                      'credentials')),
     cfg.StrOpt('onready',
                help=_('Deprecated.'))]
 
diff --git a/heat/engine/resources/openstack/heat/software_deployment.py b/heat/engine/resources/openstack/heat/software_deployment.py
index a171772afe..5fe0439e29 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resources/openstack/heat/software_deployment.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resources/openstack/heat/software_deployment.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import copy
 import uuid
 
+from oslo_config import cfg
 from oslo_log import log as logging
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
 
@@ -29,6 +30,9 @@ from heat.engine.resources import signal_responder
 from heat.engine import support
 from heat.rpc import api as rpc_api
 
+cfg.CONF.import_opt('default_deployment_signal_transport',
+                    'heat.common.config')
+
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
@@ -152,7 +156,7 @@ class SoftwareDeployment(signal_responder.SignalResponder):
               'provided keystone credentials. NO_SIGNAL will result in the '
               'resource going to the COMPLETE state without waiting for '
               'any signal.'),
-            default=CFN_SIGNAL,
+            default=cfg.CONF.default_deployment_signal_transport,
             constraints=[
                 constraints.AllowedValues(SIGNAL_TRANSPORTS),
             ]
diff --git a/heat/engine/resources/openstack/nova/server.py b/heat/engine/resources/openstack/nova/server.py
index 472c3701bc..afc8a6ac45 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resources/openstack/nova/server.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resources/openstack/nova/server.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ from heat.engine import support
 from heat.rpc import api as rpc_api
 
 cfg.CONF.import_opt('instance_user', 'heat.common.config')
+cfg.CONF.import_opt('default_software_config_transport', 'heat.common.config')
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -285,7 +286,7 @@ class Server(stack_user.StackUser):
               'the Heat API resource-show using the provided keystone '
               'credentials. POLL_TEMP_URL will create and populate a '
               'Swift TempURL with metadata for polling.'),
-            default=POLL_SERVER_CFN,
+            default=cfg.CONF.default_software_config_transport,
             constraints=[
                 constraints.AllowedValues(_SOFTWARE_CONFIG_TRANSPORTS),
             ]
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_server.py b/heat/tests/test_server.py
index db4c1f4646..55f2d844a6 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_server.py
@@ -667,6 +667,8 @@ class ServersTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         self.assertEqual('4567', server.access_key)
         self.assertEqual('8901', server.secret_key)
         self.assertEqual('1234', server._get_user_id())
+        self.assertEqual('POLL_SERVER_CFN',
+                         server.properties.get('software_config_transport'))
 
         self.assertTrue(stack.access_allowed('4567', 'WebServer'))
         self.assertFalse(stack.access_allowed('45678', 'WebServer'))
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_software_deployment.py b/heat/tests/test_software_deployment.py
index da641ed2a3..124f6e4536 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_software_deployment.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_software_deployment.py
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ class SoftwareDeploymentTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         props['user_data_format'] = 'SOFTWARE_CONFIG'
         self._create_stack(self.template_with_server)
         sd = self.deployment
+        self.assertEqual('CFN_SIGNAL', sd.properties.get('signal_transport'))
         sd.validate()
         server = self.stack['server']
         self.assertTrue(server.user_data_software_config())