diff --git a/nova/auth/manager.py b/nova/auth/manager.py
index 438066e3..ca2a3add 100644
--- a/nova/auth/manager.py
+++ b/nova/auth/manager.py
@@ -63,10 +63,10 @@ auth_opts = [
                 help='Roles that apply to all projects'),
 
     cfg.StrOpt('credentials_template',
-               default=utils.abspath('auth/novarc.template'),
+               default='$pybasedir/nova/auth/novarc.template',
                help='Template for creating users rc file'),
     cfg.StrOpt('vpn_client_template',
-               default=utils.abspath('cloudpipe/client.ovpn.template'),
+               default='$pybasedir/nova/cloudpipe/client.ovpn.template',
                help='Template for creating users vpn file'),
     cfg.StrOpt('credential_vpn_file',
                default='nova-vpn.conf',
diff --git a/nova/flags.py b/nova/flags.py
index ece5361c..38c2258c 100644
--- a/nova/flags.py
+++ b/nova/flags.py
@@ -102,11 +102,18 @@ core_opts = [
     cfg.StrOpt('api_paste_config',
                default="api-paste.ini",
                help='File name for the paste.deploy config for nova-api'),
+    cfg.StrOpt('pybasedir',
+               default=os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
+                                                    '../')),
+               help='Directory where the nova python module is installed'),
+    cfg.StrOpt('bindir',
+               default='$pybasedir/bin',
+               help='Directory where nova binaries are installed'),
     cfg.StrOpt('state_path',
-               default=os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '../'),
+               default='$pybasedir',
                help="Top-level directory for maintaining nova's state"),
     cfg.StrOpt('lock_path',
-               default=os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '../'),
+               default='$pybasedir',
                help='Directory to use for lock files'),
     ]