diff --git a/etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf.sample b/etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf.sample
index 1d7313b77..127037f24 100644
--- a/etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf.sample
@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@
 #enable_v1_api=true
 
 
+#
+# Options defined in ceilometer.compute.instance
+#
+
+# list of metadata prefixes resevred for metering use (list
+# value)
+#reserved_metadata_namespace=metering.
+
+# limit on length of reserved metadata values (integer value)
+#reserved_metadata_length=256
+
+
 #
 # Options defined in ceilometer.compute.notifications
 #
@@ -600,4 +612,4 @@
 #password=<None>
 
 
-# Total option count: 116
+# Total option count: 118
diff --git a/tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh b/tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..10a75b998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+TMPFILE=`mktemp`
+trap "rm -f ${TMPFILE}" EXIT
+tools/conf/generate_sample.sh "${TMPFILE}"
+if ! cmp -s "${TMPFILE}" etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf.sample
+then
+    echo "E: ceilometer.conf.sample is not up to date, please run tools/conf/generate_sample.sh"
+    exit 42
+fi
diff --git a/tools/conf/generate_sample.sh b/tools/conf/generate_sample.sh
index 9d368a006..d42b40f81 100755
--- a/tools/conf/generate_sample.sh
+++ b/tools/conf/generate_sample.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 FILES=$(find ceilometer -type f -name "*.py" ! -path "ceilometer/tests/*" -exec \
     grep -l "Opt(" {} \; | sort -u)
 
+DEST=${1:-etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf.sample}
+
 PYTHONPATH=./:${PYTHONPATH} \
-    python $(dirname "$0")/../../ceilometer/openstack/common/config/generator.py ${FILES} > \
-    etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf.sample
+    python $(dirname "$0")/../../ceilometer/openstack/common/config/generator.py ${FILES} > $DEST
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index c76e187ec..c66392249 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ deps = pep8==1.4.5
 commands =
     flake8
     flake8 --filename=ceilometer-* bin
+    {toxinidir}/tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
 
 [testenv:docs]
 deps = -r{toxinidir}/requirements.txt