diff --git a/anvil/distro.py b/anvil/distro.py
index c07bc68e..55f0dfdf 100644
--- a/anvil/distro.py
+++ b/anvil/distro.py
@@ -48,14 +48,9 @@ class Distro(object):
         self._commands = commands
         self._components = components
 
-    def get_command_config(self, key, *more_keys, **kargs):
-        """Gets a end object for a given set of keys """
-        root = self._commands
-        acutal_keys = [key] + list(more_keys)
-        run_over_keys = acutal_keys[0:-1]
-        end_key = acutal_keys[-1]
-        quiet = kargs.get('quiet', False)
-        for k in run_over_keys:
+    def _fetch_value(self, root, keys, quiet):
+        end_key = keys[-1]
+        for k in keys[0:-1]:
             if quiet:
                 root = root.get(k)
                 if root is None:
@@ -69,11 +64,24 @@ class Distro(object):
             end_value = root.get(end_key)
         return end_value
 
-    def get_command(self, key, *more_keys, **kargs):
+    def get_dependency_config(self, key, *more_keys, **kwargs):
+        root = dict(self._dependency_handler)
+        # NOTE(harlowja): Don't allow access to the dependency handler class
+        # name. Access should be via the property instead.
+        root.pop('name', None)
+        keys = [key] + list(more_keys)
+        return self._fetch_value(root, keys, kwargs.get('quiet', False))
+
+    def get_command_config(self, key, *more_keys, **kwargs):
+        root = dict(self._commands)
+        keys = [key] + list(more_keys)
+        return self._fetch_value(root, keys, kwargs.get('quiet', False))
+
+    def get_command(self, key, *more_keys, **kwargs):
         """Retrieves a string for running a command from the setup
         and splits it to return a list.
         """
-        val = self.get_command_config(key, *more_keys, **kargs)
+        val = self.get_command_config(key, *more_keys, **kwargs)
         if not val:
             return []
         else:
diff --git a/anvil/packaging/yum.py b/anvil/packaging/yum.py
index 523e4531..ca926e3b 100644
--- a/anvil/packaging/yum.py
+++ b/anvil/packaging/yum.py
@@ -117,17 +117,17 @@ class YumDependencyHandler(base.DependencyHandler):
                "--epoch-map",
             ] + ["%s==%s" % (name, self.OPENSTACK_EPOCH)
                  for name in self.python_names]
-        package_map = self.distro._dependency_handler.get("package_map", {})
+        package_map = self.distro.get_dependency_config("package_map")
         if package_map:
             cmdline += [
                 "--package-map",
             ] + ["%s==%s" % (key, value)
                  for key, value in package_map.iteritems()]
-        arch_dependent = self.distro._dependency_handler.get("arch_dependent", [])
+        arch_dependent = self.distro.get_dependency_config("arch_dependent")
         if arch_dependent:
             cmdline += [
                 "--arch-dependent",
-            ] + arch_dependent
+            ] + list(arch_dependent)
         return cmdline
 
     def _package_parameters(self, instance):