diff --git a/manifests/backend.pp b/manifests/backend.pp
deleted file mode 100644
index 7c678bd0..00000000
--- a/manifests/backend.pp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-#
-# used to model the line in the file
-# that configures which storage backend
-# to use
-#
-class glance::backend(
-  $default_store
-) {
-  glance::api::config { 'backend':
-    config => {
-      'default_store' => $default_store
-    },
-    order  => '02',
-  }
-}
diff --git a/manifests/backend/file.pp b/manifests/backend/file.pp
index 6be21f78..2fd18ce9 100644
--- a/manifests/backend/file.pp
+++ b/manifests/backend/file.pp
@@ -8,9 +8,15 @@ class glance::backend::file(
   $filesystem_store_datadir = '/var/lib/glance/images/'
 ) inherits glance::api {
 
-  # set file as default store
-  class { 'glance::backend':
-    default_store => 'file',
+  #
+  # modeled as its own config define so that any attempts to
+  # define multiple backends will fail
+  #
+  glance::api::config { 'backend':
+    config => {
+      'default_store' => 'file',
+    },
+    order  => '04',
   }
 
   # configure directory where files should be stored
diff --git a/manifests/backend/swift.pp b/manifests/backend/swift.pp
index 3a2874be..fe7b1316 100644
--- a/manifests/backend/swift.pp
+++ b/manifests/backend/swift.pp
@@ -19,9 +19,15 @@ class glance::backend::swift(
   $swift_store_create_container_on_put = 'False',
 ) inherits glance::api {
 
-  # specify swift as backend
-  class { 'glance::backend':
-    default_store => 'swift',
+  #
+  # modeled as its own config define so that any attempts to
+  # define multiple backends will fail
+  #
+  glance::api::config { 'backend':
+    config => {
+      'default_store' => 'swift',
+    },
+    order  => '04',
   }
 
   glance::api::config { 'swift':
diff --git a/manifests/notify.pp b/manifests/notify.pp
index 5554de97..df67bacf 100644
--- a/manifests/notify.pp
+++ b/manifests/notify.pp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 class glance::notify(
   $notifier_strategy
 ) {
+
   glance::api::config { 'notify':
     config => {
       'notifier_strategy' => $notifier_strategy,