diff --git a/ironic/common/utils.py b/ironic/common/utils.py
index 7566d65962..9652a1b08b 100644
--- a/ironic/common/utils.py
+++ b/ironic/common/utils.py
@@ -390,9 +390,36 @@ def file_open(*args, **kwargs):
     return file(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
-def hash_file(file_like_object):
-    """Generate a hash for the contents of a file."""
-    checksum = hashlib.sha1()
+def _get_hash_object(hash_algo_name):
+    """Create a hash object based on given algorithm.
+
+    :param hash_algo_name: name of the hashing algorithm.
+    :raises: InvalidParameterValue, on unsupported or invalid input.
+    :returns: a hash object based on the given named algorithm.
+    """
+    algorithms = (hashlib.algorithms_guaranteed if six.PY3
+                  else hashlib.algorithms)
+    if hash_algo_name not in algorithms:
+        msg = (_("Unsupported/Invalid hash name '%s' provided.")
+               % hash_algo_name)
+        LOG.error(msg)
+        raise exception.InvalidParameterValue(msg)
+
+    return getattr(hashlib, hash_algo_name)()
+
+
+def hash_file(file_like_object, hash_algo='md5'):
+    """Generate a hash for the contents of a file.
+
+    It returns a hash of the file object as a string of double length,
+    containing only hexadecimal digits. It supports all the algorithms
+    hashlib does.
+    :param file_like_object: file like object whose hash to be calculated.
+    :param hash_algo: name of the hashing strategy, default being 'md5'.
+    :raises: InvalidParameterValue, on unsupported or invalid input.
+    :returns: a condensed digest of the bytes of contents.
+    """
+    checksum = _get_hash_object(hash_algo)
     for chunk in iter(lambda: file_like_object.read(32768), b''):
         checksum.update(chunk)
     return checksum.hexdigest()
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py b/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
index 899b6889cf..9296632749 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/common/test_utils.py
@@ -261,12 +261,68 @@ class GenericUtilsTestCase(base.TestCase):
                                                                       mock.ANY)
                 fake_context_manager.__enter__.assert_called_once_with()
 
-    def test_hash_file(self):
+    @mock.patch.object(utils, 'hashlib', autospec=True)
+    def test__get_hash_object(self, hashlib_mock):
+        algorithms_available = ('md5', 'sha1', 'sha224',
+                                'sha256', 'sha384', 'sha512')
+        hashlib_mock.algorithms_guaranteed = algorithms_available
+        hashlib_mock.algorithms = algorithms_available
+        # | WHEN |
+        utils._get_hash_object('md5')
+        utils._get_hash_object('sha1')
+        utils._get_hash_object('sha224')
+        utils._get_hash_object('sha256')
+        utils._get_hash_object('sha384')
+        utils._get_hash_object('sha512')
+        # | THEN |
+        calls = [mock.call.md5(), mock.call.sha1(), mock.call.sha224(),
+                 mock.call.sha256(), mock.call.sha384(), mock.call.sha512()]
+        hashlib_mock.assert_has_calls(calls)
+
+    def test__get_hash_object_throws_for_invalid_or_unsupported_hash_name(
+            self):
+        # | WHEN | & | THEN |
+        self.assertRaises(exception.InvalidParameterValue,
+                          utils._get_hash_object,
+                          'hickory-dickory-dock')
+
+    def test_hash_file_for_md5(self):
+        # | GIVEN |
         data = b'Mary had a little lamb, its fleece as white as snow'
-        flo = six.BytesIO(data)
-        h1 = utils.hash_file(flo)
-        h2 = hashlib.sha1(data).hexdigest()
-        self.assertEqual(h1, h2)
+        file_like_object = six.BytesIO(data)
+        expected = hashlib.md5(data).hexdigest()
+        # | WHEN |
+        actual = utils.hash_file(file_like_object)  # using default, 'md5'
+        # | THEN |
+        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+
+    def test_hash_file_for_sha1(self):
+        # | GIVEN |
+        data = b'Mary had a little lamb, its fleece as white as snow'
+        file_like_object = six.BytesIO(data)
+        expected = hashlib.sha1(data).hexdigest()
+        # | WHEN |
+        actual = utils.hash_file(file_like_object, 'sha1')
+        # | THEN |
+        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+
+    def test_hash_file_for_sha512(self):
+        # | GIVEN |
+        data = b'Mary had a little lamb, its fleece as white as snow'
+        file_like_object = six.BytesIO(data)
+        expected = hashlib.sha512(data).hexdigest()
+        # | WHEN |
+        actual = utils.hash_file(file_like_object, 'sha512')
+        # | THEN |
+        self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
+
+    def test_hash_file_throws_for_invalid_or_unsupported_hash(self):
+        # | GIVEN |
+        data = b'Mary had a little lamb, its fleece as white as snow'
+        file_like_object = six.BytesIO(data)
+        # | WHEN | & | THEN |
+        self.assertRaises(exception.InvalidParameterValue, utils.hash_file,
+                          file_like_object, 'hickory-dickory-dock')
 
     def test_is_valid_boolstr(self):
         self.assertTrue(utils.is_valid_boolstr('true'))