diff --git a/nova/notifier/__init__.py b/nova/notifier/__init__.py
index aacbf8ac..942c1a1a 100644
--- a/nova/notifier/__init__.py
+++ b/nova/notifier/__init__.py
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ DEBUG = 'DEBUG'
 
 log_levels = (DEBUG, WARN, INFO, ERROR, CRITICAL)
 
+class BadPriorityException(Exception):
+    pass
+
 def notify(event_name, publisher_id, event_type, priority, payload):
     """
     Sends a notification using the specified driver
@@ -58,6 +61,8 @@ def notify(event_name, publisher_id, event_type, priority, payload):
       'payload': {'instance_id': 12, ... }}
 
     """
+    if priority not in log_levels:
+        raise BadPriorityException('%s not in valid priorities' % priority)
     driver = utils.import_class(FLAGS.notification_driver)()
     message = dict(publisher_id=publisher_id,
                    event_type=event_type,
diff --git a/nova/notifier/rabbit_notifier.py b/nova/notifier/rabbit_notifier.py
index e4bd8539..1d62005a 100644
--- a/nova/notifier/rabbit_notifier.py
+++ b/nova/notifier/rabbit_notifier.py
@@ -34,4 +34,4 @@ class RabbitNotifier(object):
         """Sends a notification to the RabbitMQ"""
         context = nova.context.get_admin_context()
         topic = FLAGS.notification_topic
-        rpc.cast(context, topic, msg)
+        rpc.cast(context, topic, payload)
diff --git a/nova/tests/test_notifier.py b/nova/tests/test_notifier.py
index 4d6289e6..396ce13b 100644
--- a/nova/tests/test_notifier.py
+++ b/nova/tests/test_notifier.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
+import json
+
 import nova
 
 from nova import flags
@@ -42,9 +44,27 @@ class NotifierTestCase(test.TestCase):
 
         class Mock(object):
             pass
-        notifier.notify('derp', Mock())
+        nova.notifier.notify('event_name', 'publisher_id', 'event_type',
+                nova.notifier.WARN, dict(a=3))
         self.assertEqual(self.notify_called, True)
 
+    def test_verify_message_format(self):
+        """A test to ensure changing the message format is prohibitively
+        annoying""" 
+        def message_assert(cls, blob):
+            message = json.loads(blob)
+            fields = [ ('publisher_id', 'publisher_id'),
+                       ('event_type', 'event_type'),
+                       ('priority', 'WARN'),
+                       ('payload', dict(a=3))]
+            for k, v in fields:
+                self.assertEqual(message[k], v)
+
+        self.stubs.Set(nova.notifier.no_op_notifier.NoopNotifier, 'notify',
+                message_assert)
+        nova.notifier.notify('event_name', 'publisher_id', 'event_type',
+                nova.notifier.WARN, dict(a=3))
+
     def test_send_rabbit_notification(self):
         self.stubs.Set(nova.flags.FLAGS, 'notification_driver',
                 'nova.notifier.rabbit_notifier.RabbitNotifier')
@@ -55,6 +75,22 @@ class NotifierTestCase(test.TestCase):
         class Mock(object):
             pass
         self.stubs.Set(nova.rpc, 'cast', mock_cast) 
-        notifier.notify('derp', Mock())
+        nova.notifier.notify('event_name', 'publisher_id', 'event_type',
+                nova.notifier.WARN, dict(a=3))
 
         self.assertEqual(self.mock_cast, True)
+
+    def test_invalid_priority(self):
+        self.stubs.Set(nova.flags.FLAGS, 'notification_driver',
+                'nova.notifier.rabbit_notifier.RabbitNotifier')
+        self.mock_cast = False
+        def mock_cast(cls, *args):
+            pass
+    
+        class Mock(object):
+            pass
+
+        self.stubs.Set(nova.rpc, 'cast', mock_cast) 
+        self.assertRaises(nova.notifier.BadPriorityException, 
+                nova.notifier.notify, 'event_name', 'publisher_id',
+                'event_type', 'not a priority', dict(a=3))