diff --git a/manifests/api.pp b/manifests/api.pp
index 1d1ffea5e..e8746a685 100644
--- a/manifests/api.pp
+++ b/manifests/api.pp
@@ -1,34 +1,21 @@
-class nova::api($enabled=false) {
-
-  Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service['nova-api']
-  Exec['nova-db-sync'] ~> Service['nova-api']
-
-  if $enabled {
-    $service_ensure = 'running'
-  } else {
-    $service_ensure = 'stopped'
-  }
+class nova::api(
+  $enabled=false
+) inherits nova {
 
+  # TODO what exactly is this for?
+  # This resource is adding a great deal of comlexity to the overall
+  # modules. Removing it would be great
   exec { "initial-db-sync":
     command     => "/usr/bin/nova-manage db sync",
     refreshonly => true,
     require     => [Package[$::nova::params::common_package_name], Nova_config['sql_connection']],
   }
 
-  if($::nova::params::api_package_name != undef) {
-    package { 'nova-api':
-      name   => $::nova::params::api_package_name,
-      ensure => present,
-      notify => Service['nova-api'],
-      before => Exec['initial-db-sync']
-    }
-  }
+  Package<| title == 'nova-api' |> -> Exec['initial-db-sync']
 
-  service { "nova-api":
-    name    => $::nova::params::api_service_name,
-    ensure  => $service_ensure,
-    enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package[$::nova::params::common_package_name],
-    #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
+  nova::generic_service { 'api':
+    enabled      => $enabled,
+    package_name => $::nova::params::api_package_name,
+    service_name => $::nova::params::api_service_name,
   }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/cert.pp b/manifests/cert.pp
index 41a460a2d..a2e424343 100644
--- a/manifests/cert.pp
+++ b/manifests/cert.pp
@@ -1,19 +1,11 @@
-class nova::cert( $enabled=false ) {
+class nova::cert(
+  $enabled=false
+) inherits nova{
 
-  Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service['nova-cert']
-  Exec['nova-db-sync'] ~> Service['nova-cert']
-
-  if $enabled {
-    $service_ensure = 'running'
-  } else {
-    $service_ensure = 'stopped'
+  nova::generic_service { 'cert':
+    enabled      => $enabled,
+    package_name => $::nova::params::cert_package_name,
+    service_name => $::nova::params::cert_service_name,
   }
 
-  service { "nova-cert":
-    name => 'openstack-nova-cert',
-    ensure  => $service_ensure,
-    enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package["openstack-nova"],
-    #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
-  }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/compute.pp b/manifests/compute.pp
index f40fc74a5..b8c2e30d9 100644
--- a/manifests/compute.pp
+++ b/manifests/compute.pp
@@ -2,30 +2,13 @@
 # from the virtualization implementation of the compute node
 class nova::compute(
   $enabled = false,
-) {
+) inherits nova {
 
-  Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service['nova-compute']
-  Exec['nova-db-sync']  ~> Service['nova-compute']
-
-  if $enabled {
-    $service_ensure = 'running'
-  } else {
-    $service_ensure = 'stopped'
+  nova::generic_service { 'compute':
+    enabled      => $enabled,
+    package_name => $::nova::params::compute_package_name,
+    service_name => $::nova::params::compute_service_name,
+    before       => Exec['networking-refresh']
   }
 
-  if($::nova::params::compute_package_name != undef) {
-    package { 'nova-compute':
-      name   => $::nova::params::compute_package_name,
-      ensure => present,
-      notify => Service['nova-compute'],
-    }
-  }
-
-  service { "nova-compute":
-    name => $::nova::params::compute_service_name,
-    ensure  => $service_ensure,
-    enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package[$::nova::params::common_package_name],
-    before  => Exec['networking-refresh'],
-  }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/generic_service.pp b/manifests/generic_service.pp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5875de796
--- /dev/null
+++ b/manifests/generic_service.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#
+# This class implements basic nova services.
+# It is introduced to attempt to consolidate
+# common code.
+#
+# It also allows users to specify ad-hoc services
+# as needed
+#
+#
+# This define creates a service resource with title nova-${name} and
+# conditionally creates a package resource with title nova-${name}
+#
+define nova::generic_service(
+  $package_name,
+  $service_name,
+  $enabled = false,
+) {
+
+  include nova::params
+
+  if $enabled {
+    $service_ensure = 'running'
+  } else {
+    $service_ensure = 'stopped'
+  }
+
+  $nova_title = "nova-${name}"
+  # ensure that the service is only started after
+  # all nova config entries have been set
+  Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service[$nova_title]
+  # ensure that the service has only been started
+  # after the initial db sync
+  Exec['nova-db-sync'] ~> Service[$nova_title]
+
+
+  # I need to mark that ths package should be
+  # installed before nova_config
+  if($package_name) {
+    package { $nova_title:
+      name   => $package_name,
+      ensure => present,
+      notify => Service[$nova_title],
+    }
+  }
+
+  service { $nova_title:
+    name    => $service_name,
+    ensure  => $service_ensure,
+    enable  => $enabled,
+    require => Package['nova-common'],
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/manifests/network.pp b/manifests/network.pp
index 64d1c9057..3f1522fd4 100644
--- a/manifests/network.pp
+++ b/manifests/network.pp
@@ -1,28 +1,12 @@
-class nova::network( $enabled=false ) {
+class nova::network(
+  $enabled=false
+) inherits nova {
 
-  Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service['nova-network']
-  Exec['nova-db-sync'] ~> Service['nova-network']
-
-  if $enabled {
-    $service_ensure = 'running'
-  } else {
-    $service_ensure = 'stopped'
+  nova::generic_service { 'network':
+    enabled      => $enabled,
+    package_name => $::nova::params::network_package_name,
+    service_name => $::nova::params::network_service_name,
+    before       => Exec['networking-refresh']
   }
 
-  if($::nova::params::network_package_name != undef) {
-    package { 'nova-network':
-      name   => $::nova::params::network_package_name,
-      ensure => present,
-      notify => Service['nova-network'],
-    }
-  }
-
-  service { "nova-network":
-    name => $::nova::params::network_service_name,
-    ensure  => $service_ensure,
-    enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package[$::nova::params::common_package_name],
-    before  => Exec['networking-refresh'],
-    #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
-  }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/objectstore.pp b/manifests/objectstore.pp
index e4909cab2..8a7a32899 100644
--- a/manifests/objectstore.pp
+++ b/manifests/objectstore.pp
@@ -1,29 +1,11 @@
-class nova::objectstore( $enabled=false ) {
+class nova::objectstore(
+  $enabled=false
+) inherits nova {
 
-  include nova::params
-
-  Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service['nova-objectstore']
-  Exec['nova-db-sync'] ~> Service['nova-objectstore']
-
-  if $enabled {
-    $service_ensure = 'running'
-  } else {
-    $service_ensure = 'stopped'
+  nova::generic_service { 'objectstore':
+    enabled      => $enabled,
+    package_name => $::nova::params::objectstore_package_name,
+    service_name => $::nova::params::objectstore_service_name,
   }
 
-  if($::nova::params::objectstore_package_name != undef) {
-    package { 'nova-objectstore':
-      name   => $::nova::params::objectstore_package_name,
-      ensure => present,
-      notify => Service['nova-objectstore'],
-    }
-  }
-
-  service { "nova-objectstore":
-    name => $::nova::params::objectstore_service_name,
-    ensure  => $service_ensure,
-    enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package[$::nova::params::common_package_name],
-    #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
-  }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/scheduler.pp b/manifests/scheduler.pp
index 39aaa1564..62a0aee0c 100644
--- a/manifests/scheduler.pp
+++ b/manifests/scheduler.pp
@@ -1,29 +1,11 @@
-class nova::scheduler( $enabled = false) {
+class nova::scheduler(
+  $enabled = false
+) inherits nova {
 
-  include nova::params
-
-  Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service['nova-scheduler']
-  Exec['nova-db-sync'] -> Service['nova-scheduler']
-
-  if $enabled {
-    $service_ensure = 'running'
-  } else {
-    $service_ensure = 'stopped'
+  nova::generic_service { 'scheduler':
+    enabled      => $enabled,
+    package_name => $::nova::params::scheduler_package_name,
+    service_name => $::nova::params::scheduler_service_name,
   }
 
-  if($::nova::params::scheduler_package_name != undef) {
-    package { 'nova-scheduler':
-      name   => $::nova::params::scheduler_package_name,
-      ensure => present,
-      notify => Service['nova-scheduler'],
-    }
-  }
-
-  service { "nova-scheduler":
-    name => $::nova::params::scheduler_service_name,
-    ensure  => $service_ensure,
-    enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package[$::nova::params::common_package_name],
-    #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
-  }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/volume.pp b/manifests/volume.pp
index eb9d692ca..2cc9cb9f2 100644
--- a/manifests/volume.pp
+++ b/manifests/volume.pp
@@ -1,29 +1,21 @@
-class nova::volume( $enabled=false ) {
+class nova::volume(
+  $enabled=false
+) inherits nova {
 
-  Exec['post-nova_config'] ~> Service['nova-volume']
-  Exec['nova-db-sync'] ~> Service['nova-volume']
-
-  if $enabled {
-    $service_ensure = 'running'
-  } else {
-    $service_ensure = 'stopped'
-  }
-
-  exec {volumes:
+  exec { 'volumes':
     command => 'dd if=/dev/zero of=/tmp/nova-volumes.img bs=1M seek=20k count=0 && /sbin/vgcreate nova-volumes `/sbin/losetup --show -f /tmp/nova-volumes.img`',
     onlyif => 'test ! -e /tmp/nova-volumes.img',
     path => ["/usr/bin", "/bin", "/usr/local/bin"],
     before => Service['nova-volume'],
   }
 
-  service { "nova-volume":
-    name => 'openstack-nova-volume',
-    ensure  => $service_ensure,
-    enable  => $enabled,
-    require => Package["openstack-nova"],
-    #subscribe => File["/etc/nova/nova.conf"]
+  ova::generic_service { 'volume':
+    enabled      => $enabled,
+    package_name => $::nova::params::volume_package_name,
+    service_name => $::nova::params::volume_service_name,
   }
 
+  # TODO is this fedora specific?
   service {'tgtd':
     ensure  => $service_ensure,
     enable  => $enabled,
diff --git a/spec/classes/nova_cert_spec.rb b/spec/classes/nova_cert_spec.rb
index da3499cde..dd953b6cb 100644
--- a/spec/classes/nova_cert_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/nova_cert_spec.rb
@@ -11,19 +11,24 @@ describe 'nova::cert' do
       { :osfamily => 'Debian' }
     end
     it { should contain_service('nova-cert').with(
-      'name'    => 'openstack-nova-cert',
+      'name'    => 'nova-cert',
       'ensure'  => 'stopped',
       'enable'  => false
     )}
+    it { should contain_package('nova-cert').with(
+      'name'   => 'nova-cert',
+      'ensure' => 'present',
+      'notify' => 'Service[nova-cert]'
+    )}
     describe 'with enabled as true' do
       let :params do
         {:enabled => true}
       end
-    it { should contain_service('nova-cert').with(
-      'name'    => 'openstack-nova-cert',
-      'ensure'  => 'running',
-      'enable'  => true
-    )}
+      it { should contain_service('nova-cert').with(
+        'name'    => 'nova-cert',
+        'ensure'  => 'running',
+        'enable'  => true
+      )}
     end
   end
   describe 'on rhel' do
@@ -35,6 +40,6 @@ describe 'nova::cert' do
       'ensure'  => 'stopped',
       'enable'  => false
     )}
-    it { should_not contain_package('nova-network') }
+    it { should_not contain_package('nova-cert') }
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/classes/nova_volume_spec.rb b/spec/classes/nova_volume_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f413ea88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/classes/nova_volume_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe 'nova::volume' do
+
+  let :pre_condition do
+    'include nova'
+  end
+
+  describe 'on debian platforms' do
+    let :facts do
+      { :osfamily => 'Debian' }
+    end
+    it { should contain_service('nova-volume').with(
+      'name'    => 'nova-volume',
+      'ensure'  => 'stopped',
+      'enable'  => false
+    )}
+    it { should contain_package('nova-volume').with(
+      'name'   => 'nova-volume',
+      'ensure' => 'present',
+      'notify' => 'Service[nova-volume]'
+    )}
+    describe 'with enabled as true' do
+      let :params do
+        {:enabled => true}
+      end
+      it { should contain_service('nova-volume').with(
+        'name'    => 'nova-volume',
+        'ensure'  => 'running',
+        'enable'  => true
+      )}
+    end
+  end
+  describe 'on rhel' do
+    let :facts do
+      { :osfamily => 'RedHat' }
+    end
+    it { should contain_service('nova-volume').with(
+      'name'    => 'openstack-nova-volume',
+      'ensure'  => 'stopped',
+      'enable'  => false
+    )}
+    it { should_not contain_package('nova-volume') }
+  end
+end