diff --git a/exercise.sh b/exercise.sh
index f24693e..9e7c5ae 100755
--- a/exercise.sh
+++ b/exercise.sh
@@ -82,11 +82,11 @@ nova boot --flavor $FLAVOR --image $IMAGE $NAME --security_groups=$SECGROUP
 # Waiting for boot
 # ----------------
 
-# let's give it 10 seconds to launch
-sleep 10
-
-# check that the status is active
-nova show $NAME | grep status | grep -q ACTIVE
+# check that the status is active within 10 seconds
+if ! timeout 10 sh -c "while ! nova show $NAME | grep status | grep -q ACTIVE; do sleep 1; done"; then
+    echo "server didn't become active!"
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 # get the IP of the server
 IP=`nova show $NAME | grep "private network" | cut -d"|" -f3`
@@ -94,14 +94,13 @@ IP=`nova show $NAME | grep "private network" | cut -d"|" -f3`
 # for single node deployments, we can ping private ips
 MULTI_HOST=${MULTI_HOST:-0}
 if [ "$MULTI_HOST" = "0" ]; then
-    # ping it once (timeout of a second)
-    ping -c1 -w1 $IP || true
-
     # sometimes the first ping fails (10 seconds isn't enough time for the VM's
-    # network to respond?), so let's wait 5 seconds and really test ping
-    sleep 5
-
-    ping -c1 -w1 $IP
+    # network to respond?), so let's ping for 15 seconds with a timeout
+    # of a second.
+    if ! timeout 15 sh -c "while ! ping -c1 -w1 $IP; do sleep 1; done"; then
+        echo "Couldn't ping server"
+        exit 1
+    fi
 fi
 
 # Security Groups & Floating IPs
@@ -122,11 +121,11 @@ FLOATING_IP=`nova floating-ip-list | grep None | head -1 | cut -d '|' -f2 | sed
 # add floating ip to our server
 nova add-floating-ip $NAME $FLOATING_IP
 
-# sleep for a smidge
-sleep 5
-
-# ping our floating ip
-ping -c1 -w1 $FLOATING_IP
+# test we can ping our floating ip within 10 seconds
+if ! timeout 10 sh -c "while ! ping -c1 -w1 $FLOATING_IP; do sleep 1; done"; then
+    echo "Couldn't ping server with floating ip"
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 # pause the VM and verify we can't ping it anymore
 nova pause $NAME
@@ -148,12 +147,10 @@ ping -c1 -w1 $FLOATING_IP
 # dis-allow icmp traffic (ping)
 nova secgroup-delete-rule $SECGROUP icmp -1 -1 0.0.0.0/0
 
-# sleep for a smidge
-sleep 5
-
-# ping our floating ip
-if ( ping -c1 -w1 $FLOATING_IP ); then
+# test we can aren't able to ping our floating ip within 10 seconds
+if ! timeout 10 sh -c "while ping -c1 -w1 $FLOATING_IP; do sleep 1; done"; then
     print "Security group failure - ping should not be allowed!"
+    echo "Couldn't ping server with floating ip"
     exit 1
 fi
 
diff --git a/files/sudo/nova b/files/sudo/nova
index 3843416..2ce1aac 100644
--- a/files/sudo/nova
+++ b/files/sudo/nova
@@ -1 +1,47 @@
-socat
+Cmnd_Alias NOVACMDS = /bin/chmod /var/lib/nova/tmp/*/root/.ssh, \
+                      /bin/chown /var/lib/nova/tmp/*/root/.ssh, \
+                      /bin/chown,                               \
+                      /bin/chmod,                               \
+                      /bin/dd,                                  \
+                      /sbin/ifconfig,                           \
+                      /sbin/ip,                                 \
+                      /sbin/route,                              \
+                      /sbin/iptables,                           \
+                      /sbin/iptables-save,                      \
+                      /sbin/iptables-restore,                   \
+                      /sbin/ip6tables-save,                     \
+                      /sbin/ip6tables-restore,                  \
+                      /sbin/kpartx,                             \
+                      /sbin/losetup,                            \
+                      /sbin/lvcreate,                           \
+                      /sbin/lvdisplay,                          \
+                      /sbin/lvremove,                           \
+                      /bin/mkdir,                               \
+                      /bin/mount,                               \
+                      /sbin/pvcreate,                           \
+                      /usr/bin/tee,                             \
+                      /sbin/tune2fs,                            \
+                      /bin/umount,                              \
+                      /sbin/vgcreate,                           \
+                      /usr/bin/virsh,                           \
+                      /usr/bin/qemu-nbd,                        \
+                      /usr/sbin/brctl,                          \
+                      /sbin/brctl,                              \
+                      /usr/sbin/radvd,                          \
+                      /usr/sbin/vblade-persist,                 \
+                      /sbin/pvcreate,                           \
+                      /sbin/aoe-discover,                       \
+                      /sbin/vgcreate,                           \
+                      /bin/aoe-stat,                            \
+                      /bin/kill,                                \
+                      /sbin/vconfig,                            \
+                      /usr/sbin/ietadm,                         \
+                      /sbin/vgs,                                \
+                      /sbin/iscsiadm,                           \
+                      /usr/bin/socat,                           \
+                      /sbin/parted,                             \
+                      /usr/sbin/dnsmasq,                        \
+                      /usr/bin/arping
+
+%USER% ALL = (root) NOPASSWD: SETENV: NOVACMDS
+
diff --git a/stack.sh b/stack.sh
index 14bcfb2..82cc157 100755
--- a/stack.sh
+++ b/stack.sh
@@ -116,6 +116,15 @@ if [[ $EUID -eq 0 ]]; then
         exec su -c "set -e; cd $STACK_DIR; bash stack.sh" stack
     fi
     exit 1
+else
+    # Our user needs passwordless priviledges for certain commands which nova 
+    # uses internally.
+    # Natty uec images sudoers does not have a '#includedir'. add one.
+    sudo grep -q "^#includedir.*/etc/sudoers.d" /etc/sudoers ||
+        echo "#includedir /etc/sudoers.d" | sudo tee -a /etc/sudoers
+    sudo cp $FILES/sudo/nova /etc/sudoers.d/stack_sh_nova
+    sudo sed -e "s,%USER%,$USER,g" -i /etc/sudoers.d/stack_sh_nova
+    sudo chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/stack_sh_nova
 fi
 
 # Set the destination directories for openstack projects
@@ -364,8 +373,6 @@ cd $DASH_DIR/openstack-dashboard; sudo python setup.py develop
 # it since we are going to run the services in screen for simple
 cp $FILES/screenrc ~/.screenrc
 
-## TODO: update current user to allow sudo for all commands in files/sudo/*
-
 # Rabbit
 # ---------