diff --git a/nova/flags.py b/nova/flags.py
index cf02c971..f89e5379 100644
--- a/nova/flags.py
+++ b/nova/flags.py
@@ -464,3 +464,6 @@ DEFINE_integer('zombie_instance_updated_at_window', 172800,
                'being cleaned up.')
 
 DEFINE_boolean('allow_ec2_admin_api', False, 'Enable/Disable EC2 Admin API')
+
+DEFINE_integer('service_down_time', 60,
+        'maximum time since last check-in for up service')
diff --git a/nova/scheduler/simple.py b/nova/scheduler/simple.py
index fb800756..52f6be3b 100644
--- a/nova/scheduler/simple.py
+++ b/nova/scheduler/simple.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ from nova import flags
 from nova import exception
 from nova.scheduler import driver
 from nova.scheduler import chance
+from nova import utils
 
 FLAGS = flags.FLAGS
 flags.DEFINE_integer("max_cores", 16,
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ class SimpleScheduler(chance.ChanceScheduler):
 
         if host and context.is_admin:
             service = db.service_get_by_args(elevated, host, 'nova-compute')
-            if not self.service_is_up(service):
+            if not utils.service_is_up(service):
                 raise exception.WillNotSchedule(host=host)
             return host
 
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ class SimpleScheduler(chance.ChanceScheduler):
                     instance_cores + instance_opts['vcpus'] > FLAGS.max_cores:
                 msg = _("Not enough allocatable CPU cores remaining")
                 raise exception.NoValidHost(reason=msg)
-            if self.service_is_up(service):
+            if utils.service_is_up(service) and not service['disabled']:
                 return service['host']
         msg = _("Is the appropriate service running?")
         raise exception.NoValidHost(reason=msg)
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ class SimpleScheduler(chance.ChanceScheduler):
             zone, _x, host = availability_zone.partition(':')
         if host and context.is_admin:
             service = db.service_get_by_args(elevated, host, 'nova-volume')
-            if not self.service_is_up(service):
+            if not utils.service_is_up(service):
                 raise exception.WillNotSchedule(host=host)
             driver.cast_to_volume_host(context, host, 'create_volume',
                     volume_id=volume_id, **_kwargs)
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ class SimpleScheduler(chance.ChanceScheduler):
             if volume_gigabytes + volume_ref['size'] > FLAGS.max_gigabytes:
                 msg = _("Not enough allocatable volume gigabytes remaining")
                 raise exception.NoValidHost(reason=msg)
-            if self.service_is_up(service):
+            if utils.service_is_up(service) and not service['disabled']:
                 driver.cast_to_volume_host(context, service['host'],
                         'create_volume', volume_id=volume_id, **_kwargs)
                 return None
diff --git a/nova/scheduler/vsa.py b/nova/scheduler/vsa.py
index dd17b19c..7b45e93e 100644
--- a/nova/scheduler/vsa.py
+++ b/nova/scheduler/vsa.py
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ class VsaScheduler(simple.SimpleScheduler):
             zone, _x, host = availability_zone.partition(':')
             service = db.service_get_by_args(context.elevated(), host,
                                              'nova-volume')
-            if not self.service_is_up(service):
+            if service['disabled'] or not utils.service_is_up(service):
                 raise exception.WillNotSchedule(host=host)
 
             return host
diff --git a/nova/tests/scheduler/test_vsa_scheduler.py b/nova/tests/scheduler/test_vsa_scheduler.py
index cc141897..a7cd2358 100644
--- a/nova/tests/scheduler/test_vsa_scheduler.py
+++ b/nova/tests/scheduler/test_vsa_scheduler.py
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ class VsaSchedulerTestCase(test.TestCase):
         scheduled_volume = {'id': volume_id, 'host': values['host']}
 
     def _fake_service_get_by_args(self, context, host, binary):
-        return "service"
+        return {'host': 'fake_host', 'disabled': False}
 
     def _fake_service_is_up_True(self, service):
         return True
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ class VsaSchedulerTestCase(test.TestCase):
 
         self.stubs.Set(nova.db,
                         'service_get_by_args', self._fake_service_get_by_args)
-        self.stubs.Set(self.sched,
+        self.stubs.Set(utils,
                         'service_is_up', self._fake_service_is_up_False)
 
         self.assertRaises(exception.WillNotSchedule,
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ class VsaSchedulerTestCase(test.TestCase):
                                 request_spec,
                                 availability_zone="nova:host_5")
 
-        self.stubs.Set(self.sched,
+        self.stubs.Set(utils,
                         'service_is_up', self._fake_service_is_up_True)
 
         self.sched.schedule_create_volumes(self.context,
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ class VsaSchedulerTestCase(test.TestCase):
         self.stubs.Set(nova.db, 'volume_get', _fake_volume_get_az)
         self.stubs.Set(nova.db,
                         'service_get_by_args', self._fake_service_get_by_args)
-        self.stubs.Set(self.sched,
+        self.stubs.Set(utils,
                         'service_is_up', self._fake_service_is_up_True)
 
         self.sched.schedule_create_volume(self.context,