diff --git a/bin/clear_rabbit_queues b/bin/clear_rabbit_queues
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..7a000e5d85a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/clear_rabbit_queues
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# vim: tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
+
+# Copyright (c) 2011 Openstack, LLC.
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+"""Admin/debug script to wipe rabbitMQ (AMQP) queues nova uses.
+   This can be used if you need to change durable options on queues,
+   or to wipe all messages in the queue system if things are in a
+   serious bad way.
+
+"""
+
+import datetime
+import gettext
+import os
+import sys
+import time
+
+# If ../nova/__init__.py exists, add ../ to Python search path, so that
+# it will override what happens to be installed in /usr/(local/)lib/python...
+POSSIBLE_TOPDIR = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.abspath(sys.argv[0]),
+                                   os.pardir,
+                                   os.pardir))
+if os.path.exists(os.path.join(POSSIBLE_TOPDIR, 'nova', '__init__.py')):
+    sys.path.insert(0, POSSIBLE_TOPDIR)
+
+gettext.install('nova', unicode=1)
+
+
+from nova import context
+from nova import exception
+from nova import flags
+from nova import log as logging
+from nova import rpc
+from nova import utils
+
+
+FLAGS = flags.FLAGS
+flags.DEFINE_boolean('delete_exchange', False, 'delete nova exchange too.')
+
+
+def delete_exchange(exch):
+    conn = rpc.create_connection()
+    x = conn.get_channel()
+    x.exchange_delete(exch)
+
+
+def delete_queues(queues):
+    conn = rpc.create_connection()
+    x = conn.get_channel()
+    for q in queues:
+        x.queue_delete(q)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    utils.default_flagfile()
+    args = flags.FLAGS(sys.argv)
+    logging.setup()
+    delete_queues(args[1:])
+    if FLAGS.delete_exchange:
+        delete_exchange(FLAGS.control_exchange)
diff --git a/nova/flags.py b/nova/flags.py
index eb6366ed9fb8..db3906374923 100644
--- a/nova/flags.py
+++ b/nova/flags.py
@@ -305,6 +305,7 @@ DEFINE_string('rabbit_virtual_host', '/', 'rabbit virtual host')
 DEFINE_integer('rabbit_retry_interval', 10, 'rabbit connection retry interval')
 DEFINE_integer('rabbit_max_retries', 12, 'rabbit connection attempts')
 DEFINE_string('control_exchange', 'nova', 'the main exchange to connect to')
+DEFINE_boolean('rabbit_durable_queues', False, 'use durable queues')
 DEFINE_list('enabled_apis', ['ec2', 'osapi'],
             'list of APIs to enable by default')
 DEFINE_string('ec2_host', '$my_ip', 'ip of api server')
diff --git a/nova/rpc/amqp.py b/nova/rpc/amqp.py
index 61555795afb9..fe429b26679a 100644
--- a/nova/rpc/amqp.py
+++ b/nova/rpc/amqp.py
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ class TopicAdapterConsumer(AdapterConsumer):
         self.queue = topic
         self.routing_key = topic
         self.exchange = FLAGS.control_exchange
-        self.durable = False
+        self.durable = FLAGS.rabbit_durable_queues
         super(TopicAdapterConsumer, self).__init__(connection=connection,
                                     topic=topic, proxy=proxy)
 
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ class TopicPublisher(Publisher):
     def __init__(self, connection=None, topic='broadcast'):
         self.routing_key = topic
         self.exchange = FLAGS.control_exchange
-        self.durable = False
+        self.durable = FLAGS.rabbit_durable_queues
         super(TopicPublisher, self).__init__(connection=connection)
 
 
@@ -373,6 +373,7 @@ class DirectConsumer(Consumer):
         self.queue = msg_id
         self.routing_key = msg_id
         self.exchange = msg_id
+        self.durable = False
         self.auto_delete = True
         self.exclusive = True
         super(DirectConsumer, self).__init__(connection=connection)
@@ -386,6 +387,7 @@ class DirectPublisher(Publisher):
     def __init__(self, connection=None, msg_id=None):
         self.routing_key = msg_id
         self.exchange = msg_id
+        self.durable = False
         self.auto_delete = True
         super(DirectPublisher, self).__init__(connection=connection)
 
@@ -573,7 +575,7 @@ def send_message(topic, message, wait=True):
 
     publisher = messaging.Publisher(connection=Connection.instance(),
                                     exchange=FLAGS.control_exchange,
-                                    durable=False,
+                                    durable=FLAGS.rabbit_durable_queues,
                                     exchange_type='topic',
                                     routing_key=topic)
     publisher.send(message)