diff --git a/update.py b/update.py
index 7d78185d7..b56acdfe4 100755
--- a/update.py
+++ b/update.py
@@ -88,12 +88,22 @@ OPTS = [
                help='A config file or destination project directory',
                positional=True),
 ]
-ALLOWED_PRIMITIVES = ('flow', 'task', 'decorators')
+ALLOWED_PRIMITIVES = (
+    'flow',
+    'task',
+    'decorators',
+    'storage',
+    'engines',
+    'exceptions',
+)
 IMPORT_FROM = re.compile(r"^\s*from\s+" + BASE_MOD + r"\s*(.*)$")
 BASE_CONF = '%s.conf' % (BASE_MOD)
 MACHINE_GENERATED = ('# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE '
                      'OVERWRITTEN', '')
 
+# FIXME(harlowja): remove these after bugs #1221448 and #1221505 are fixed
+BLACK_LISTED = ('threaded_flow', 'graph_flow')
+
 
 def _parse_args(argv):
     conf = cfg.ConfigOpts()
@@ -340,7 +350,7 @@ def _parse_import_line(line, linenum=-1, filename=None):
     return (comment, prefix, postfix, alias)
 
 
-def _find_import_modules(srcfile):
+def _find_import_modules(srcfile, root_mods):
     with open(srcfile, 'rb') as f:
         lines = f.readlines()
     for (i, line) in enumerate(lines):
@@ -349,16 +359,19 @@ def _find_import_modules(srcfile):
             continue
         (comment, prefix, postfix, alias) = segments
         importing = _join_mod(prefix, postfix)
+        if importing in root_mods.keys():
+            yield importing
+            continue
+        # Attempt to locate where the module is by popping import
+        # segments until we find one that actually exists.
         import_segments = _split_mod(importing)
-        prefix_segments = _split_mod(prefix)
         while len(import_segments):
-            # Attempt to locate where the module is by popping import
-            # segments until we find one that actually exists.
             exists, _mod_path = _get_mod_path(import_segments, base=BASE_MOD)
             if exists:
                 break
             else:
                 import_segments.pop()
+        prefix_segments = _split_mod(prefix)
         if not import_segments or len(import_segments) < len(prefix_segments):
             raise IOError("Unable to find import '%s'; line %s from file"
                           " '%s'" % (importing, i + 1, srcfile))
@@ -368,6 +381,7 @@ def _find_import_modules(srcfile):
 def _build_dependency_tree():
     dep_tree = {}
     root_mods = {}
+    file_paths = []
     for dirpath, _tmp, filenames in os.walk(BASE_MOD):
         for filename in [x for x in filenames if x.endswith('.py')]:
             if dirpath == BASE_MOD:
@@ -384,9 +398,14 @@ def _build_dependency_tree():
                     root_mods[mod_name] = os.path.join(dirpath, filename)
             else:
                 filepath = os.path.join(dirpath, filename)
-                dep_list = dep_tree.setdefault(mod_name, [])
-                dep_list.extend([x for x in _find_import_modules(filepath)
-                                 if x != mod_name and x not in dep_list])
+                file_paths.append((filepath, mod_name))
+    # Analyze the individual files dependencies after we know exactly what the
+    # modules are so that we can find those modules if a individual file
+    # imports a module instead of a file.
+    for filepath, mod_name in file_paths:
+        dep_list = dep_tree.setdefault(mod_name, [])
+        dep_list.extend([x for x in _find_import_modules(filepath, root_mods)
+                         if x != mod_name and x not in dep_list])
     return (dep_tree, root_mods)
 
 
@@ -398,21 +417,40 @@ def _dfs_dependency_tree(dep_tree, mod_name, mod_list=[]):
     return mod_list
 
 
-def _complete_flow_list(flows):
+def _complete_engine_list(engines):
+    if not engines:
+        return []
+    engine_mods = []
+    for engine_type in engines:
+        engine_type = engine_type.strip()
+        if not engine_type:
+            continue
+        engine_mods.append(_join_mod('engines', engine_type))
+        mod = _join_mod('engines', engine_type, 'engine')
+        exists, mod_path = _get_mod_path([mod], base=BASE_MOD)
+        if not exists:
+            raise IOError("Engine %s file not found at: %s" % (engine_type,
+                                                               mod_path))
+        engine_mods.append(mod)
+    return engine_mods
 
-    def check_fetch_mod(flow):
+
+def _complete_flow_list(flows):
+    if not flows:
+        return []
+    flow_mods = []
+    for flow in flows:
+        flow = flow.strip()
+        if not flow:
+            continue
         mod = _join_mod('patterns', flow)
         exists, mod_path = _get_mod_path([mod], base=BASE_MOD)
         if not exists:
             raise IOError("Flow %s file not found at: %s" % (flow, mod_path))
-        return mod
-
-    flow_mods = []
-    for f in flows:
-        f = f.strip()
-        if not f:
-            continue
-        flow_mods.append(check_fetch_mod(f))
+        if flow in BLACK_LISTED:
+            raise IOError("Flow %s is currently disallowed until further"
+                          " notice" % (flow))
+        flow_mods.append(mod)
     return flow_mods
 
 
@@ -498,7 +536,7 @@ def main(argv):
     # be copied over. Later add more as needed.
     prims = 0
     for k in ALLOWED_PRIMITIVES:
-        prims += len(primitive_types[k])
+        prims += len(primitive_types.get(k, []))
     if prims <= 0:
         allowed = ", ".join(sorted(ALLOWED_PRIMITIVES))
         print("A list of primitives to copy is required "
@@ -558,6 +596,7 @@ def main(argv):
             _rm_tree(old_base)
 
     find_what = _complete_flow_list(primitive_types.pop('flow', []))
+    find_what.extend(_complete_engine_list(primitive_types.get('engines', [])))
     find_what.extend(primitive_types.keys())
     find_what = [f for f in _uniq_itr(find_what)]
     copy_what, root_mods = _complete_module_list(find_what)