diff --git a/charm-helpers-hooks.yaml b/charm-helpers-hooks.yaml
index 1a98c81c..f3734f7d 100644
--- a/charm-helpers-hooks.yaml
+++ b/charm-helpers-hooks.yaml
@@ -6,5 +6,6 @@ include:
     - contrib.openstack
     - contrib.hahelpers
     - contrib.network
+    - contrib.python.packages
     - contrib.storage.linux
     - payload.execd
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/__init__.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/__init__.py
index e69de29b..b46e2e23 100644
--- a/hooks/charmhelpers/__init__.py
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Bootstrap charm-helpers, installing its dependencies if necessary using
+# only standard libraries.
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+try:
+    import six  # flake8: noqa
+except ImportError:
+    if sys.version_info.major == 2:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python-six'])
+    else:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python3-six'])
+    import six  # flake8: noqa
+
+try:
+    import yaml  # flake8: noqa
+except ImportError:
+    if sys.version_info.major == 2:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python-yaml'])
+    else:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python3-yaml'])
+    import yaml  # flake8: noqa
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/python/__init__.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/python/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/python/packages.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/python/packages.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..78162b1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/python/packages.py
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# coding: utf-8
+
+__author__ = "Jorge Niedbalski <jorge.niedbalski@canonical.com>"
+
+from charmhelpers.fetch import apt_install, apt_update
+from charmhelpers.core.hookenv import log
+
+try:
+    from pip import main as pip_execute
+except ImportError:
+    apt_update()
+    apt_install('python-pip')
+    from pip import main as pip_execute
+
+
+def parse_options(given, available):
+    """Given a set of options, check if available"""
+    for key, value in sorted(given.items()):
+        if key in available:
+            yield "--{0}={1}".format(key, value)
+
+
+def pip_install_requirements(requirements, **options):
+    """Install a requirements file """
+    command = ["install"]
+
+    available_options = ('proxy', 'src', 'log', )
+    for option in parse_options(options, available_options):
+        command.append(option)
+
+    command.append("-r {0}".format(requirements))
+    log("Installing from file: {} with options: {}".format(requirements,
+                                                           command))
+    pip_execute(command)
+
+
+def pip_install(package, fatal=False, **options):
+    """Install a python package"""
+    command = ["install"]
+
+    available_options = ('proxy', 'src', 'log', "index-url", )
+    for option in parse_options(options, available_options):
+        command.append(option)
+
+    if isinstance(package, list):
+        command.extend(package)
+    else:
+        command.append(package)
+
+    log("Installing {} package with options: {}".format(package,
+                                                        command))
+    pip_execute(command)
+
+
+def pip_uninstall(package, **options):
+    """Uninstall a python package"""
+    command = ["uninstall", "-q", "-y"]
+
+    available_options = ('proxy', 'log', )
+    for option in parse_options(options, available_options):
+        command.append(option)
+
+    if isinstance(package, list):
+        command.extend(package)
+    else:
+        command.append(package)
+
+    log("Uninstalling {} package with options: {}".format(package,
+                                                          command))
+    pip_execute(command)
+
+
+def pip_list():
+    """Returns the list of current python installed packages
+    """
+    return pip_execute(["list"])
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/core/host.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/core/host.py
index 5221120c..6e0ae64f 100644
--- a/hooks/charmhelpers/core/host.py
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/core/host.py
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ def mkdir(path, owner='root', group='root', perms=0o555, force=False):
         os.chown(realpath, uid, gid)
     elif not path_exists:
         os.makedirs(realpath, perms)
-        os.chown(realpath, uid, gid)
+    os.chown(realpath, uid, gid)
 
 
 def write_file(path, content, owner='root', group='root', perms=0o444):
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/fetch/giturl.py.moved b/hooks/charmhelpers/fetch/giturl.py.moved
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f3aa2821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/fetch/giturl.py.moved
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import os
+from charmhelpers.fetch import (
+    BaseFetchHandler,
+    UnhandledSource
+)
+from charmhelpers.core.host import mkdir
+
+import six
+if six.PY3:
+    raise ImportError('GitPython does not support Python 3')
+
+try:
+    from git import Repo
+except ImportError:
+    from charmhelpers.fetch import apt_install
+    apt_install("python-git")
+    from git import Repo
+
+
+class GitUrlFetchHandler(BaseFetchHandler):
+    """Handler for git branches via generic and github URLs"""
+    def can_handle(self, source):
+        url_parts = self.parse_url(source)
+        # TODO (mattyw) no support for ssh git@ yet
+        if url_parts.scheme not in ('http', 'https', 'git'):
+            return False
+        else:
+            return True
+
+    def clone(self, source, dest, branch):
+        if not self.can_handle(source):
+            raise UnhandledSource("Cannot handle {}".format(source))
+
+        repo = Repo.clone_from(source, dest)
+        repo.git.checkout(branch)
+
+    def install(self, source, branch="master", dest=None):
+        url_parts = self.parse_url(source)
+        branch_name = url_parts.path.strip("/").split("/")[-1]
+        if dest:
+            dest_dir = os.path.join(dest, branch_name)
+        else:
+            dest_dir = os.path.join(os.environ.get('CHARM_DIR'), "fetched",
+                                    branch_name)
+        if not os.path.exists(dest_dir):
+            mkdir(dest_dir, perms=0o755)
+        try:
+            self.clone(source, dest_dir, branch)
+        except OSError as e:
+            raise UnhandledSource(e.strerror)
+        return dest_dir
diff --git a/tests/charmhelpers/__init__.py b/tests/charmhelpers/__init__.py
index e69de29b..b46e2e23 100644
--- a/tests/charmhelpers/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/charmhelpers/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Bootstrap charm-helpers, installing its dependencies if necessary using
+# only standard libraries.
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+try:
+    import six  # flake8: noqa
+except ImportError:
+    if sys.version_info.major == 2:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python-six'])
+    else:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python3-six'])
+    import six  # flake8: noqa
+
+try:
+    import yaml  # flake8: noqa
+except ImportError:
+    if sys.version_info.major == 2:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python-yaml'])
+    else:
+        subprocess.check_call(['apt-get', 'install', '-y', 'python3-yaml'])
+    import yaml  # flake8: noqa