diff --git a/ironic/common/service.py b/ironic/common/service.py
index a657dc5905..7da3f426f0 100644
--- a/ironic/common/service.py
+++ b/ironic/common/service.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ from ironic.common.i18n import _
 from ironic.common.i18n import _LE
 from ironic.common.i18n import _LI
 from ironic.common import rpc
+from ironic import objects
 from ironic.objects import base as objects_base
 
 
@@ -140,6 +141,7 @@ def prepare_service(argv=[]):
                                          ])
     config.parse_args(argv)
     log.setup(CONF, 'ironic')
+    objects.register_all()
 
 
 def process_launcher():
diff --git a/ironic/objects/__init__.py b/ironic/objects/__init__.py
index f022421fd1..72fe9d9862 100644
--- a/ironic/objects/__init__.py
+++ b/ironic/objects/__init__.py
@@ -12,18 +12,19 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-from ironic.objects import chassis
-from ironic.objects import conductor
-from ironic.objects import node
-from ironic.objects import port
+# NOTE(comstud): You may scratch your head as you see code that imports
+# this module and then accesses attributes for objects such as Node,
+# etc, yet you do not see these attributes in here. Never fear, there is
+# a little bit of magic. When objects are registered, an attribute is set
+# on this module automatically, pointing to the newest/latest version of
+# the object.
 
 
-Chassis = chassis.Chassis
-Conductor = conductor.Conductor
-Node = node.Node
-Port = port.Port
-
-__all__ = (Chassis,
-           Conductor,
-           Node,
-           Port)
+def register_all():
+    # NOTE(danms): You must make sure your object gets imported in this
+    # function in order for it to be registered by services that may
+    # need to receive it via RPC.
+    __import__('ironic.objects.chassis')
+    __import__('ironic.objects.conductor')
+    __import__('ironic.objects.node')
+    __import__('ironic.objects.port')
diff --git a/ironic/objects/base.py b/ironic/objects/base.py
index f72477b35e..25d4add641 100644
--- a/ironic/objects/base.py
+++ b/ironic/objects/base.py
@@ -14,13 +14,27 @@
 
 """Ironic common internal object model"""
 
+from oslo_utils import versionutils
 from oslo_versionedobjects import base as object_base
 
+from ironic import objects
 from ironic.objects import fields as object_fields
 
 
 class IronicObjectRegistry(object_base.VersionedObjectRegistry):
-    pass
+    def registration_hook(self, cls, index):
+        # NOTE(jroll): blatantly stolen from nova
+        # NOTE(danms): This is called when an object is registered,
+        # and is responsible for maintaining ironic.objects.$OBJECT
+        # as the highest-versioned implementation of a given object.
+        version = versionutils.convert_version_to_tuple(cls.VERSION)
+        if not hasattr(objects, cls.obj_name()):
+            setattr(objects, cls.obj_name(), cls)
+        else:
+            cur_version = versionutils.convert_version_to_tuple(
+                getattr(objects, cls.obj_name()).VERSION)
+            if version >= cur_version:
+                setattr(objects, cls.obj_name(), cls)
 
 
 class IronicObject(object_base.VersionedObject):
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/__init__.py b/ironic/tests/unit/__init__.py
index 0b16a622c6..dcc2f0d687 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/__init__.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/__init__.py
@@ -26,4 +26,11 @@
 
 import eventlet
 
+from ironic import objects
+
 eventlet.monkey_patch(os=False)
+
+# NOTE(comstud): Make sure we have all of the objects loaded. We do this
+# at module import time, because we may be using mock decorators in our
+# tests that run at import time.
+objects.register_all()
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py b/ironic/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py
index 0a13d16fe3..4616c6c88d 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py
@@ -496,3 +496,37 @@ class TestObjectSerializer(test_base.TestCase):
     def test_deserialize_entity_newer_version_passes_revision(self):
         "Test object with unsupported (newer) version and revision"
         self._test_deserialize_entity_newer('1.7', '1.6.1', my_version='1.6.1')
+
+
+class TestRegistry(test_base.TestCase):
+    @mock.patch('ironic.objects.base.objects')
+    def test_hook_chooses_newer_properly(self, mock_objects):
+        reg = base.IronicObjectRegistry()
+        reg.registration_hook(MyObj, 0)
+
+        class MyNewerObj(object):
+            VERSION = '1.123'
+
+            @classmethod
+            def obj_name(cls):
+                return 'MyObj'
+
+        self.assertEqual(MyObj, mock_objects.MyObj)
+        reg.registration_hook(MyNewerObj, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(MyNewerObj, mock_objects.MyObj)
+
+    @mock.patch('ironic.objects.base.objects')
+    def test_hook_keeps_newer_properly(self, mock_objects):
+        reg = base.IronicObjectRegistry()
+        reg.registration_hook(MyObj, 0)
+
+        class MyOlderObj(object):
+            VERSION = '1.1'
+
+            @classmethod
+            def obj_name(cls):
+                return 'MyObj'
+
+        self.assertEqual(MyObj, mock_objects.MyObj)
+        reg.registration_hook(MyOlderObj, 0)
+        self.assertEqual(MyObj, mock_objects.MyObj)