diff --git a/manifests/storage/all.pp b/manifests/storage/all.pp
index 46837685..e24ae4c6 100644
--- a/manifests/storage/all.pp
+++ b/manifests/storage/all.pp
@@ -17,10 +17,13 @@
 #
 class swift::storage::all(
   $storage_local_net_ip,
-  $devices        = '/srv/node',
-  $object_port    = '6000',
-  $container_port = '6001',
-  $account_port   = '6002'
+  $devices            = '/srv/node',
+  $object_port        = '6000',
+  $container_port     = '6001',
+  $account_port       = '6002',
+  $object_pipeline    = undef,
+  $container_pipeline = undef,
+  $account_pipeline   = undef
 ) {
 
   class { 'swift::storage':
@@ -35,15 +38,18 @@ class swift::storage::all(
   swift::storage::server { $account_port:
     type             => 'account',
     config_file_path => 'account-server.conf',
+    pipeline         => $account_pipeline,
   }
 
   swift::storage::server { $container_port:
     type             => 'container',
     config_file_path => 'container-server.conf',
+    pipeline         => $container_pipeline,
   }
 
   swift::storage::server { $object_port:
     type             => 'object',
     config_file_path => 'object-server.conf',
+    pipeline         => $object_pipeline,
   }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/storage/server.pp b/manifests/storage/server.pp
index 102a6ff3..d59ccf6b 100644
--- a/manifests/storage/server.pp
+++ b/manifests/storage/server.pp
@@ -6,23 +6,26 @@
 define swift::storage::server(
   $type,
   $storage_local_net_ip,
-  $devices          = '/srv/node',
-  $owner            = 'swift',
-  $group            = 'swift',
-  $max_connections  = 25,
-  $pipeline         = ["${type}-server"],
-  $mount_check      = 'false',
-  $user             = 'swift',
-  $workers          = '1',
-  $concurrency      = $::processorcount,
+  $devices                = '/srv/node',
+  $owner                  = 'swift',
+  $group                  = 'swift',
+  $max_connections        = 25,
+  $pipeline               = ["${type}-server"],
+  $mount_check            = 'false',
+  $user                   = 'swift',
+  $workers                = '1',
+  $concurrency            = $::processorcount,
+  $replicator_concurrency = $concurrency,
+  $updater_concurrency    = $concurrency,
+  $reaper_concurrency     = $concurrency,
   # this parameters needs to be specified after type and name
-  $config_file_path = "${type}-server/${name}.conf"
+  $config_file_path       = "${type}-server/${name}.conf"
 ) {
 
   # TODO if array does not include type-server, warn
   if(
     (is_array($pipeline) and ! member($pipeline, "${type}-server")) or
-    $pipline != "${type}-server"
+    $pipeline != "${type}-server"
   ) {
       warning("swift storage server ${type} must specify ${type}-server")
   }
@@ -32,6 +35,7 @@ define swift::storage::server(
 
   validate_re($name, '^\d+$')
   validate_re($type, '^object|container|account$')
+  validate_array($pipeline)
   # TODO - validate that name is an integer
 
   $bind_port = $name
@@ -52,10 +56,23 @@ define swift::storage::server(
     mode    => 640,
   }
 
+  $required_middlewares = split(
+    inline_template(
+      "<%=
+        (pipeline - ['${type}-server']).collect do |x|
+          'Swift::Storage::Filter::' + x + '[${type}]'
+        end.join(',')
+      %>"), ',')
+
   # you can now add your custom fragments at the user level
   concat::fragment { "swift-${type}-${name}":
     target  => "/etc/swift/${config_file_path}",
     content => template("swift/${type}-server.conf.erb"),
     order   => '00',
+    # require classes for each of the elements of the pipeline
+    # this is to ensure the user gets reasonable elements if he
+    # does not specify the backends for every specified element of
+    # the pipeline
+    before  => $required_middlewares,
   }
 }
diff --git a/spec/classes/swift_storage_all_spec.rb b/spec/classes/swift_storage_all_spec.rb
index 96ca079c..37771b5f 100644
--- a/spec/classes/swift_storage_all_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/swift_storage_all_spec.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ describe 'swift::storage::all' do
       :storage_local_net_ip => '10.0.0.1',
       :object_port => '7000',
       :container_port => '7001',
-      :account_port => '7002'
+      :account_port => '7002',
+      :object_pipeline => ["1", "2"],
+      :container_pipeline => ["3", "4"],
+      :account_pipeline => ["5", "6"],
     }
   ].each do |param_set|
 
@@ -76,15 +79,18 @@ describe 'swift::storage::all' do
 
       it { should contain_swift__storage__server(param_hash[:account_port]).with(
         {:type => 'account',
-         :config_file_path => 'account-server.conf'}.merge(storage_server_defaults)
+         :config_file_path => 'account-server.conf',
+         :pipeline => param_hash[:account_pipeline] || 'account-server' }.merge(storage_server_defaults)
       )}
       it { should contain_swift__storage__server(param_hash[:object_port]).with(
         {:type => 'object',
-         :config_file_path => 'object-server.conf'}.merge(storage_server_defaults)
+         :config_file_path => 'object-server.conf',
+         :pipeline => param_hash[:object_pipeline] || 'object-server' }.merge(storage_server_defaults)
       )}
       it { should contain_swift__storage__server(param_hash[:container_port]).with(
         {:type => 'container',
-         :config_file_path => 'container-server.conf'}.merge(storage_server_defaults)
+         :config_file_path => 'container-server.conf',
+         :pipeline => param_hash[:container_pipeline] || 'container-server' }.merge(storage_server_defaults)
       )}
 
       it { should contain_class('rsync::server').with(
diff --git a/spec/defines/swift_storage_server_spec.rb b/spec/defines/swift_storage_server_spec.rb
index 2d0ceb8a..561e48a1 100644
--- a/spec/defines/swift_storage_server_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/defines/swift_storage_server_spec.rb
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ describe 'swift::storage::server' do
           :mount_check => true,
           :concurrency => 5,
           :workers     => 7,
-          :pipeline    => 'foo'
+          :pipeline    => ['foo']
         }.each do |k,v|
           describe "when #{k} is set" do
             let :params do req_params.merge({k => v}) end
@@ -78,10 +78,23 @@ describe 'swift::storage::server' do
               .with_content(/^#{k.to_s}\s*=\s*#{v}\s*$/)
             }
           end
-          describe "when pipline is passed an array" do
-            let :params do req_params.merge({:pipeline => [1,2,3]})  end
+        end
+        describe "when pipeline is passed an array" do
+          let :params do req_params.merge({:pipeline => [1,2,3]})  end
+          it { should contain_file(fragment_file).with({
+            :content => /^pipeline\s*=\s*1 2 3\s*$/,
+            :before => ["Swift::Storage::Filter::1[#{t}]", "Swift::Storage::Filter::2[#{t}]", "Swift::Storage::Filter::3[#{t}]"]
+          })}
+        end
+        describe "when pipeline is not passed an array" do
+          let :params do req_params.merge({:pipeline => 'not an array'}) end
+          it "should fail" do
+            expect do
+              subject
+            end.should raise_error(Puppet::Error, /is not an Array/)
+          end
+        end
             it { should contain_file(fragment_file) \
-              .with_content(/^pipeline\s*=\s*1 2 3\s*$/)
             }
           end
         end