diff --git a/manifests/api.pp b/manifests/api.pp
index d7cca900..8a404cd6 100644
--- a/manifests/api.pp
+++ b/manifests/api.pp
@@ -72,6 +72,12 @@
 #   (optional) Factory to use for ratelimiting
 #   Defaults to 'cinder.api.v1.limits:RateLimitingMiddleware.factory'
 #
+# [*default_volume_type*]
+#   (optional) default volume type to use.
+#   This should contain the name of the default volume type to use.
+#   If not configured, it produces an error when creating a volume
+#   without specifying a type.
+#   Defaults to 'false'.
 class cinder::api (
   $keystone_password,
   $keystone_enabled           = true,
@@ -89,6 +95,7 @@ class cinder::api (
   $enabled                    = true,
   $manage_service             = true,
   $ratelimits                 = undef,
+  $default_volume_type        = false,
   $ratelimits_factory =
     'cinder.api.v1.limits:RateLimitingMiddleware.factory'
 ) {
@@ -187,4 +194,15 @@ class cinder::api (
       }
     }
   }
+
+  if $default_volume_type {
+    cinder_config {
+      'DEFAULT/default_volume_type': value => $default_volume_type;
+    }
+  } else {
+    cinder_config {
+      'DEFAULT/default_volume_type': ensure => absent;
+    }
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/manifests/backends.pp b/manifests/backends.pp
index eb417b96..7c697193 100644
--- a/manifests/backends.pp
+++ b/manifests/backends.pp
@@ -9,16 +9,10 @@
 #     This should contain names used in ceph::backend::* resources.
 #     Example: ['volume1', 'volume2', 'sata3']
 #
-# [*default_volume_type*]
-#   (optional) default volume type to use.
-#   This should contain the name of the default volume type to use.
-#   If not configured, it produces an error when creating a volume
-#   without specifying a type.
-#   Defaults to 'false'.
-#
 # Author: Andrew Woodward <awoodward@mirantis.com>
 class cinder::backends (
   $enabled_backends    = undef,
+  # DEPRECATED
   $default_volume_type = false
   ){
 
@@ -28,13 +22,7 @@ class cinder::backends (
   }
 
   if $default_volume_type {
-    cinder_config {
-      'DEFAULT/default_volume_type': value => $default_volume_type;
-    }
-  } else {
-    cinder_config {
-      'DEFAULT/default_volume_type': ensure => absent;
-    }
+    fail('The default_volume_type parameter is deprecated in this class, you should declare it in cinder::api.')
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/spec/classes/cinder_api_spec.rb b/spec/classes/cinder_api_spec.rb
index 640af215..f2797e40 100644
--- a/spec/classes/cinder_api_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/cinder_api_spec.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ describe 'cinder::api' do
       should contain_cinder_config('DEFAULT/osapi_volume_listen').with(
        :value => '0.0.0.0'
       )
+      should contain_cinder_config('DEFAULT/default_volume_type').with(
+       :ensure => 'absent'
+      )
       should contain_cinder_api_paste_ini('filter:authtoken/service_protocol').with(
         :value => 'http'
       )
@@ -77,6 +80,17 @@ describe 'cinder::api' do
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'with a default volume type' do
+    let :params do
+      req_params.merge({'default_volume_type' => 'foo'})
+    end
+    it 'should configure the default volume type for cinder' do
+      should contain_cinder_config('DEFAULT/default_volume_type').with(
+        :value => 'foo'
+      )
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'with custom auth_uri' do
     let :params do
       req_params.merge({'keystone_auth_uri' => 'http://foo.bar:8080/v2.0/'})
diff --git a/spec/classes/cinder_backends_spec.rb b/spec/classes/cinder_backends_spec.rb
index a0f48c1b..de990d02 100644
--- a/spec/classes/cinder_backends_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/cinder_backends_spec.rb
@@ -46,20 +46,19 @@ describe 'cinder::backends' do
 
       it 'configures cinder.conf with default params' do
         should contain_cinder_config('DEFAULT/enabled_backends').with_value(p[:enabled_backends].join(','))
-        should contain_cinder_config('DEFAULT/default_volume_type').with_ensure('absent')
       end
     end
 
     context 'configure cinder with a default volume type' do
       before :each do
         params.merge!(
-         :enabled_backends => ['lowcost', 'regular', 'premium'],
+         :enabled_backends    => ['foo', 'bar'],
          :default_volume_type => 'regular'
         )
       end
 
-      it 'configures cinder.conf with default params' do
-        should contain_cinder_config('DEFAULT/default_volume_type').with_value('regular')
+      it 'should fail to configure default volume type' do
+        expect { subject }.to raise_error(Puppet::Error, /The default_volume_type parameter is deprecated in this class, you should declare it in cinder::api./)
       end
     end