diff --git a/nova/notifier/__init__.py b/nova/notifier/__init__.py
index 942c1a1a..6429ea96 100644
--- a/nova/notifier/__init__.py
+++ b/nova/notifier/__init__.py
@@ -14,14 +14,13 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 import datetime
-import json
 
 from nova import flags
 from nova import utils
 
 FLAGS = flags.FLAGS
 
-flags.DEFINE_string('default_notification_level', 'info',
+flags.DEFINE_string('default_notification_level', 'INFO',
                     'Default notification level for outgoing notifications')
 
 WARN = 'WARN'
@@ -69,4 +68,4 @@ def notify(event_name, publisher_id, event_type, priority, payload):
                    priority=priority,
                    payload=payload,
                    time=str(datetime.datetime.utcnow()))
-    driver.notify(json.dumps(message))
+    driver.notify(message)
diff --git a/nova/notifier/no_op_notifier.py b/nova/notifier/no_op_notifier.py
index 3fefe6f8..f425f06e 100644
--- a/nova/notifier/no_op_notifier.py
+++ b/nova/notifier/no_op_notifier.py
@@ -14,6 +14,6 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 class NoopNotifier(object):
-    def notify(self, event_name, model):
+    def notify(self, payload):
         """Notifies the recipient of the desired event given the model"""
         pass
diff --git a/nova/notifier/rabbit_notifier.py b/nova/notifier/rabbit_notifier.py
index 1d62005a..4b653869 100644
--- a/nova/notifier/rabbit_notifier.py
+++ b/nova/notifier/rabbit_notifier.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import json
 
 import nova.context
 
@@ -28,10 +27,12 @@ flags.DEFINE_string('notification_topic', 'notifications',
 
 class RabbitNotifier(object):
     """Sends notifications to a specific RabbitMQ server and topic"""
-    pass
 
     def notify(self, payload):
         """Sends a notification to the RabbitMQ"""
         context = nova.context.get_admin_context()
-        topic = FLAGS.notification_topic
+        priority = payload.get('priority',
+                               FLAGS.default_notification_level)
+        priority = priority.lower()
+        topic = '%s.%s' % (FLAGS.notification_topic, priority)
         rpc.cast(context, topic, payload)
diff --git a/nova/tests/test_notifier.py b/nova/tests/test_notifier.py
index 396ce13b..8fc43d9d 100644
--- a/nova/tests/test_notifier.py
+++ b/nova/tests/test_notifier.py
@@ -13,13 +13,14 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import json
-
 import nova
 
+from nova import context
 from nova import flags
+from nova import rpc
 from nova import notifier
 from nova.notifier import no_op_notifier
+from nova.notifier import rabbit_notifier
 from nova import test
 
 import stubout
@@ -51,8 +52,7 @@ class NotifierTestCase(test.TestCase):
     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)
+        def message_assert(cls, message):
             fields = [ ('publisher_id', 'publisher_id'),
                        ('event_type', 'event_type'),
                        ('priority', 'WARN'),
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class NotifierTestCase(test.TestCase):
         self.mock_cast = False
         def mock_cast(cls, *args):
             self.mock_cast = True
-    
+
         class Mock(object):
             pass
         self.stubs.Set(nova.rpc, 'cast', mock_cast) 
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class NotifierTestCase(test.TestCase):
         self.mock_cast = False
         def mock_cast(cls, *args):
             pass
-    
+
         class Mock(object):
             pass
 
@@ -94,3 +94,20 @@ class NotifierTestCase(test.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(nova.notifier.BadPriorityException, 
                 nova.notifier.notify, 'event_name', 'publisher_id',
                 'event_type', 'not a priority', dict(a=3))
+
+    def test_rabbit_priority_queue(self):
+        self.stubs.Set(nova.flags.FLAGS, 'notification_driver',
+                'nova.notifier.rabbit_notifier.RabbitNotifier')
+        self.stubs.Set(nova.flags.FLAGS, 'notification_topic',
+                'testnotify')
+
+        self.test_topic = None
+
+        def mock_cast(context, topic, msg):
+            self.test_topic = topic
+
+        self.stubs.Set(nova.rpc, 'cast', mock_cast) 
+        nova.notifier.notify('event_name', 'publisher_id',
+                'event_type', 'DEBUG', dict(a=3))
+        self.assertEqual(self.test_topic, 'testnotify.debug')
+