diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml
index 3e0d0fc..73f5c6f 100644
--- a/config.yaml
+++ b/config.yaml
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ options:
     default: kvm
     type: string
     description: "Virtualization flavor. Supported: kvm, xen, uml, lxc. qemu"
-
   # needed if using flatmanager
   bridge-interface:
     default: br100
@@ -41,9 +40,13 @@ options:
     default: 255.255.255.0
     type: string
     description: Netmask to be assigned to bridge interface
-
   # needed if using flatdhcpmanager
   flat-interface:
     default: eth1
     type: string
     description: Network interface on which to build bridge
+  config-flags:
+    default: None
+    type: string
+    description: Comma separated list of key=value config flags to be set in nova.conf.
+
diff --git a/hooks/config-changed b/hooks/config-changed
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..6f9ff4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/config-changed
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+nova-compute-relations
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hooks/nova-compute-common b/hooks/nova-compute-common
index 9009f4e..9d42add 100755
--- a/hooks/nova-compute-common
+++ b/hooks/nova-compute-common
@@ -28,6 +28,19 @@ function set_or_update {
   fi
 }
 
+function set_config_flags() {
+  # Set user-defined nova.conf flags from deployment config
+  juju-log "Processing config-flags."
+  flags=$(config-get config-flags)
+  if [[ "$flags" != "None" && -n "$flags" ]] ; then
+    for f in $(echo $flags | sed -e 's/,/ /g') ; do
+      k=$(echo $f | cut -d= -f1)
+      v=$(echo $f | cut -d= -f2)
+      set_or_update "$k" "$v"
+    done
+  fi
+}
+
 function nova_ctl_status {
   SERVICE=$1
   # workaround upstarts lack of scriptable return codes
diff --git a/hooks/nova-compute-relations b/hooks/nova-compute-relations
index 39a67df..8942c00 100755
--- a/hooks/nova-compute-relations
+++ b/hooks/nova-compute-relations
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ fi
 function install_hook {
   [[ -z $VIRT_TYPE ]] && VIRT_TYPE="kvm"
   case $VIRT_TYPE in
-    "kvm"|"qemu") COMPUTE_PKG="nova-compute-kvm";;
+    "kvm") COMPUTE_PKG="nova-compute-kvm";;
+    "qemu") COMPUTE_PKG="nova-compute-qemu";;
     "xen") COMPUTE_PKG="nova-compute-xen";;
     "uml") COMPUTE_PKG="nova-compute-uml";;
     "lxc") COMPUTE_PKG="nova-compute-lxc";;
@@ -22,29 +23,17 @@ function install_hook {
   apt-get update || exit 1
   apt-get -y install $COMPUTE_PKG nova-api nova-network || exit 1
 
-  # there is no nova-compute-qemu pkg. Install kvm and reconfigure
-  # manually for qemu.
-  if [[ "$VIRT_TYPE" == "qemu" ]] ; then
-    sed -i 's/\(\-\-libvirt_type=\).*/\1qemu/g' /etc/nova/nova-compute.conf
-  fi
+  # Configure any flags specified in deployment config
+  set_config_flags
 
-  # XXX sudo on the juju sample AMI doesnt function
-  # as it should (doesn't include suoders.d/*). do this
-  # manually until we can use any AMI
-  echo "nova ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL" >>/etc/sudoers
-
-  # DISABLED till SSL cert stuff is done (otherwise libvirt wont start)
-  # update /etc/default/libvirt-bin to listen on tcp
-  # for live migration purposes
-  #DEFAULT_OPTS=$(grep "^libvirtd_opts" /etc/default/libvirt-bin | cut -d= -f2)
-  #if ! echo $DEFAULT_OPTS | grep '\-l' >/dev/null ; then
-  #  juju-log "Updating /etc/default/libvirt-bin"
-  #  sed -i "s/\(^libvirtd_opts=\"\)/\1-l /g" /etc/default/libvirt-bin
-  #  service libvirt-bin restart
-  #fi
   nova_ctl all stop
 }
 
+function config_changed {
+  set_config_flags
+  nova_ctl all restart
+}
+
 function amqp_joined {
   juju-log "amqp_joined: requesting credentials for $RABBIT_USER"
   echo "amqp_joined: requesting credentials for $RABBIT_USER"
@@ -133,6 +122,7 @@ function keystone_joined {
 case $ARG0 in
   "install") install_hook ;;
   "start"|"stop") exit 0 ;;
+  "config-changed") config_changed ;;
   "amqp-relation-joined") amqp_joined ;;
   "amqp-relation-changed") amqp_changed ;;
   "shared-db-relation-joined") db_joined ;;