diff --git a/bindep.txt b/bindep.txt
index ab7d31b21b..824e432039 100644
--- a/bindep.txt
+++ b/bindep.txt
@@ -34,3 +34,7 @@ postgresql-client
 libnss3-dev [platform:dpkg]
 mozilla-nss-devel [platform:rpm]
 nss-devel [platform:rpm]
+# NOTE(dirk) needed for PyECLib
+liberasurecode-dev [platform:dpkg]
+liberasurecode-devel [platform:rpm]
+dev-libs/liberasurecode [platform:gentoo]
diff --git a/openstack_requirements/cmds/check_conflicts.py b/openstack_requirements/cmds/check_conflicts.py
index 22ea0c89cc..e5ec58f932 100644
--- a/openstack_requirements/cmds/check_conflicts.py
+++ b/openstack_requirements/cmds/check_conflicts.py
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 """
 
+from __future__ import print_function
+
 import argparse
 import sys
 import traceback
@@ -34,7 +36,11 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument(
         'upper_constraints',
         default='upper-constraints.txt',
-        help='path to the upper-constraints.txt file',
+        help='path to the upper-constraints.txt file')
+    parser.add_argument(
+        'uc_xfails',
+        default='upper-constraints-xfails.txt',
+        help='Path to the upper-constraints-xfails.txt file',
     )
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
@@ -42,16 +48,35 @@ def main():
 
     print('\nChecking %s' % args.upper_constraints)
     upper_constraints = read_requirements_file(args.upper_constraints)
+    xfails = read_requirements_file(args.uc_xfails)
     for name, spec_list in upper_constraints.items():
         try:
             if name:
-                print('Checking conflicts for %s' % name)
                 pyver = "python_version=='%s.%s'" % (sys.version_info[0],
                                                      sys.version_info[1])
                 for req, original_line in spec_list:
                     if req.markers in ["", pyver]:
                         pkg_resources.require(name)
-        except pkg_resources.ContextualVersionConflict:
+        except pkg_resources.ContextualVersionConflict as e:
+
+            if e.dist.key in xfails:
+                xfail_requirement = xfails[e.dist.key][0][0]
+                xfail_blacklists = set(xfail_requirement.markers.split(','))
+                conflict = e.dist.as_requirement()
+                conflict_specifiers = ''.join(conflict.specs[0])
+
+                if (e.required_by.issubset(xfail_blacklists) and
+                        xfail_requirement.package == conflict.name and
+                        conflict_specifiers == xfail_requirement.specifiers):
+
+                    print ('XFAIL while checking conflicts '
+                           'for %s: %s conflicts with %s' %
+                           (name, e.dist, str(e.req)))
+                    continue
+
+            print('Checking conflicts for %s:\n'
+                  'ContextualVersionConflict: %s' % (name, str(e)))
+
             traceback.print_exc(file=sys.stdout)
             error_count += 1
 
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 3d30c36285..73a7fe0e87 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ commands = check-conflicts {toxinidir}/upper-constraints.txt
 
 [testenv:py27-check-uc]
 deps = -r{toxinidir}/upper-constraints.txt
-commands = check-conflicts {toxinidir}/upper-constraints.txt
+commands = check-conflicts {toxinidir}/upper-constraints.txt {toxinidir}/upper-constraints-xfails.txt
 
 [testenv:venv]
 commands = {posargs}
diff --git a/upper-constraints-xfails.txt b/upper-constraints-xfails.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a2668ef757
--- /dev/null
+++ b/upper-constraints-xfails.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Format is
+# <dependency that is incompatible>==<version>;<list,of,affected,packages>
+
+pyparsing==2.1.9;pulp
+Sphinx==1.3.6;os-api-ref,openstack-doc-tools