diff --git a/exerciserc b/exerciserc
index 82c74b7fe4..c26ec2ce95 100644
--- a/exerciserc
+++ b/exerciserc
@@ -26,3 +26,7 @@ export VOLUME_TIMEOUT=${VOLUME_TIMEOUT:-30}
 
 # Max time to wait for a euca-delete command to propogate
 export VOLUME_DELETE_TIMEOUT=${SNAPSHOT_DELETE_TIMEOUT:-60}
+
+# The size of the volume we want to boot from; some storage back-ends
+# do not allow a disk resize, so it's important that this can be tuned
+export DEFAULT_VOLUME_SIZE=${DEFAULT_VOLUME_SIZE:-1}
diff --git a/exercises/boot_from_volume.sh b/exercises/boot_from_volume.sh
index 5ebdecc755..5ada2370b8 100755
--- a/exercises/boot_from_volume.sh
+++ b/exercises/boot_from_volume.sh
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ if ! timeout $ASSOCIATE_TIMEOUT sh -c "while ! nova floating-ip-list | grep -q $
 fi
 
 # Create the bootable volume
-cinder create --display_name=$VOL_NAME --image-id $IMAGE 1
+cinder create --display_name=$VOL_NAME --image-id $IMAGE $DEFAULT_VOLUME_SIZE
 
 # Wait for volume to activate
 if ! timeout $ACTIVE_TIMEOUT sh -c "while ! cinder list | grep $VOL_NAME | grep available; do sleep 1; done"; then
diff --git a/exercises/volumes.sh b/exercises/volumes.sh
index 42f9cb4e72..48a976ed3d 100755
--- a/exercises/volumes.sh
+++ b/exercises/volumes.sh
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ if [[ -n "`cinder list | grep $VOL_NAME | head -1 | get_field 2`" ]]; then
 fi
 
 # Create a new volume
-cinder create --display_name $VOL_NAME --display_description "test volume: $VOL_NAME" 1
+cinder create --display_name $VOL_NAME --display_description "test volume: $VOL_NAME" $DEFAULT_VOLUME_SIZE
 if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
     echo "Failure creating volume $VOL_NAME"
     exit 1