diff --git a/build_pxe_boot.sh b/build_pxe_boot.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2c4cc0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_pxe_boot.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+#!/bin/bash -e
+# build_pxe_boot.sh - Create a PXE boot environment
+#
+# build_pxe_boot.sh [-k kernel-version] destdir
+#
+# Assumes syslinux is installed
+# Assumes devstack files are in `pwd`/pxe
+# Only needs to run as root if the destdir permissions require it
+
+UBUNTU_MIRROR=http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/natty/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/ubuntu-installer/amd64
+
+MEMTEST_VER=4.10
+MEMTEST_BIN=memtest86+-${MEMTEST_VER}.bin
+MEMTEST_URL=http://www.memtest.org/download/${MEMTEST_VER}/
+
+KVER=`uname -r`
+if [ "$1" = "-k" ]; then
+    KVER=$2
+    shift;shift
+fi
+
+DEST_DIR=${1:-/tmp}/tftpboot
+OPWD=`pwd`
+PROGDIR=`dirname $0`
+
+mkdir -p $DEST_DIR/pxelinux.cfg
+cd $DEST_DIR
+for i in memdisk menu.c32 pxelinux.0; do
+	cp -p /usr/lib/syslinux/$i $DEST_DIR
+done
+
+DEFAULT=$DEST_DIR/pxelinux.cfg/default
+cat >$DEFAULT <<EOF
+default menu.c32
+prompt 0
+timeout 0
+
+MENU TITLE PXE Boot Menu
+
+EOF
+
+# Setup devstack boot
+mkdir -p $DEST_DIR/ubuntu
+if [ ! -d $OPWD/pxe ]; then
+    mkdir -p $OPWD/pxe
+fi
+if [ ! -r $OPWD/pxe/vmlinuz-${KVER} ]; then
+    sudo chmod 644 /boot/vmlinuz-${KVER}
+    if [ ! -r /boot/vmlinuz-${KVER} ]; then
+        echo "No kernel found"
+    else
+        cp -p /boot/vmlinuz-${KVER} $OPWD/pxe
+    fi
+fi
+cp -p $OPWD/pxe/vmlinuz-${KVER} $DEST_DIR/ubuntu
+if [ ! -r $OPWD/pxe/stack-initrd.gz ]; then
+    cd $OPWD
+    sudo $PROGDIR/build_pxe_ramdisk.sh $OPWD/pxe/stack-initrd.gz
+fi
+cp -p $OPWD/pxe/stack-initrd.gz $DEST_DIR/ubuntu
+cat >>$DEFAULT <<EOF
+
+LABEL devstack
+    MENU LABEL ^devstack
+    MENU DEFAULT
+    KERNEL ubuntu/vmlinuz-$KVER
+    APPEND initrd=ubuntu/stack-initrd.gz ramdisk_size=2109600 root=/dev/ram0
+EOF
+
+# Get Ubuntu
+if [ -d $OPWD/pxe ]; then
+    cp -p $OPWD/pxe/natty-base-initrd.gz $DEST_DIR/ubuntu
+fi
+cat >>$DEFAULT <<EOF
+
+LABEL ubuntu
+    MENU LABEL ^Ubuntu Natty
+    KERNEL ubuntu/vmlinuz-$KVER
+    APPEND initrd=ubuntu/natty-base-initrd.gz ramdisk_size=419600 root=/dev/ram0
+EOF
+
+# Get Memtest
+cd $DEST_DIR
+if [ ! -r $MEMTEST_BIN ]; then
+    wget -N --quiet ${MEMTEST_URL}/${MEMTEST_BIN}.gz
+    gunzip $MEMTEST_BIN
+fi
+cat >>$DEFAULT <<EOF
+
+LABEL memtest
+    MENU LABEL ^Memtest86+
+    KERNEL $MEMTEST_BIN
+EOF
+
+# Get FreeDOS
+mkdir -p $DEST_DIR/freedos
+cd $DEST_DIR/freedos
+wget -N --quiet http://www.fdos.org/bootdisks/autogen/FDSTD.288.gz
+gunzip -f FDSTD.288.gz
+cat >>$DEFAULT <<EOF
+
+LABEL freedos
+	MENU LABEL ^FreeDOS bootdisk
+	KERNEL memdisk
+	APPEND initrd=freedos/FDSTD.288
+EOF
+
+# Local disk boot
+cat >>$DEFAULT <<EOF
+
+LABEL local
+    MENU LABEL ^Local disk
+    MENU DEFAULT
+    LOCALBOOT 0
+EOF
diff --git a/build_pxe_ramdisk.sh b/build_pxe_ramdisk.sh
index 648fc3b..197bfc9 100755
--- a/build_pxe_ramdisk.sh
+++ b/build_pxe_ramdisk.sh
@@ -6,17 +6,19 @@ if [ ! "$#" -eq "1" ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+PROGDIR=`dirname $0`
+
 # Source params
 source ./stackrc
 
 # clean install of natty
 if [ ! -d natty-base ]; then
-    debootstrap natty natty-base
+    $PROGDIR/make_image.sh -C natty natty-base
     # copy kernel modules...  
     # NOTE(ja): is there a better way to do this?
     cp -pr /lib/modules/`uname -r` natty-base/lib/modules
-    cp files/sources.list natty-base/etc/apt/sources.list
-    chroot natty-base apt-get update
+    # a simple password - pass
+    echo root:pass | chroot natty-base chpasswd
 fi
 
 # prime natty with as many apt/pips as we can
diff --git a/make_image.sh b/make_image.sh
index 3bfa683..81dd97c 100755
--- a/make_image.sh
+++ b/make_image.sh
@@ -1,27 +1,40 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # make_image.sh - Create Ubuntu images in various formats
 #
-# make_image.sh release format
-#
 # Supported formats: qcow (kvm), vmdk (vmserver), vdi (vbox), vhd (vpc), raw
 #
 # Requires sudo to root
 
 ROOTSIZE=${ROOTSIZE:-8192}
 SWAPSIZE=${SWAPSIZE:-1024}
+MIN_PKGS=${MIN_PKGS:-"apt-utils gpgv openssh-server"}
 
 usage() {
-    echo "$0 - Create Ubuntu images"
+    echo "Usage: $0 - Create Ubuntu images"
     echo ""
-    echo "$0 [-r rootsize] [-s swapsize] release format"
+    echo "$0 [-m] [-r rootsize] [-s swapsize] release format"
+    echo "$0 -C [-m] release chrootdir"
+    echo "$0 -I [-r rootsize] [-s swapsize] chrootdir format"
+    echo ""
+    echo "-C        - Create the initial chroot dir"
+    echo "-I        - Create the final image from a chroot"
+    echo "-m        - minimal installation"
+    echo "-r size   - root fs size in MB"
+    echo "-s size   - swap fs size in MB"
+    echo "release   - Ubuntu release: jaunty - oneric"
+    echo "format    - image format: qcow2, vmdk, vdi, vhd, xen, raw, fs"
     exit 1
 }
 
-while getopts hm:r:s: c; do
+while getopts CIhmr:s: c; do
     case $c in
+        C)  CHROOTONLY=1
+            ;;
+        I)  IMAGEONLY=1
+            ;;
         h)  usage
             ;;
-        m)  MIRROR=$OPTARG
+        m)  MINIMAL=1
             ;;
         r)  ROOTSIZE=$OPTARG
             ;;
@@ -31,8 +44,26 @@ while getopts hm:r:s: c; do
 done
 shift `expr $OPTIND - 1`
 
+if [ ! "$#" -eq "2" -o -n "$CHROOTONLY" -a -n "$IMAGEONLY" ]; then
+    usage
+fi
+
+# Default args
 RELEASE=$1
 FORMAT=$2
+CHROOTDIR=""
+
+if [ -n "$CHROOTONLY" ]; then
+    RELEASE=$1
+    CHROOTDIR=$2
+    FORMAT="pass"
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$IMAGEONLY" ]; then
+    CHROOTDIR=$1
+    FORMAT=$2
+    RELEASE="pass"
+fi
 
 case $FORMAT in
     kvm|qcow2)  FORMAT=qcow2
@@ -60,6 +91,7 @@ case $FORMAT in
                 QFORMAT=raw
                 HYPER=kvm
                 ;;
+    pass)       ;;
     *)          echo "Unknown format: $FORMAT"
                 usage
 esac
@@ -70,6 +102,7 @@ case $RELEASE in
     lucid)      ;;
     karmic)     ;;
     jaunty)     ;;
+    pass)       ;;
     *)          echo "Unknown release: $RELEASE"
                 usage
                 ;;
@@ -80,17 +113,59 @@ if [ -z `which vmbuilder` ]; then
     sudo apt-get install ubuntu-vm-builder
 fi
 
+if [ -n "$CHROOTONLY" ]; then
+    # Build a chroot directory
+    HYPER=kvm
+    if [ "$MINIMAL" = 1 ]; then
+        ARGS="--variant=minbase"
+        for i in $MIN_PKGS; do
+            ARGS="$ARGS --addpkg=$i"
+        done
+    fi
+    sudo vmbuilder $HYPER ubuntu $ARGS \
+      --suite $RELEASE \
+      --only-chroot \
+      --chroot-dir=$CHROOTDIR \
+      --overwrite \
+      --addpkg=$MIN_PKGS \
+
+    sudo cp -p files/sources.list $CHROOTDIR/etc/apt/sources.list
+    sudo chroot $CHROOTDIR apt-get update
+
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 # Build the image
+TMPDIR=tmp
 TMPDISK=`mktemp imgXXXXXXXX`
 SIZE=$[$ROOTSIZE+$SWAPSIZE+1]
-dd if=/dev/null of=$TMPDISK bs=1M seek=$SIZE
-sudo vmbuilder $HYPER ubuntu --suite $RELEASE \
-  -o \
-  --rootsize=$ROOTSIZE \
-  --swapsize=$SWAPSIZE \
-  --tmpfs - \
-  --addpkg=openssh-server \
-  --raw=$TMPDISK \
+dd if=/dev/null of=$TMPDISK bs=1M seek=$SIZE count=1
+
+if [ -n "$IMAGEONLY" ]; then
+    # Build image from chroot
+    sudo vmbuilder $HYPER ubuntu $ARGS \
+      --existing-chroot=$CHR \
+      --overwrite \
+      --rootsize=$ROOTSIZE \
+      --swapsize=$SWAPSIZE \
+      --tmpfs - \
+      --raw=$TMPDISK \
+
+else
+    # Do the whole shebang in one pass
+        ARGS="--variant=minbase"
+        for i in $MIN_PKGS; do
+            ARGS="$ARGS --addpkg=$i"
+        done
+    sudo vmbuilder $HYPER ubuntu $ARGS \
+      --suite $RELEASE \
+      --overwrite \
+      --rootsize=$ROOTSIZE \
+      --swapsize=$SWAPSIZE \
+      --tmpfs - \
+      --raw=$TMPDISK \
+
+fi
 
 if [ "$FORMAT" = "raw" ]; then
     # Get image
diff --git a/stack.sh b/stack.sh
index 4daa95d..29394ab 100755
--- a/stack.sh
+++ b/stack.sh
@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@ if ! grep -q natty /etc/lsb-release; then
     fi
 fi
 
-#The following makes fresh mininmal installs (i.e. LXCs) happy
-apt-get update
-apt-get install -y sudo
-
 # stack.sh keeps the list of **apt** and **pip** dependencies in external
 # files, along with config templates and other useful files.  You can find these
 # in the ``files`` directory (next to this script).  We will reference this
@@ -40,12 +36,26 @@ if [ ! -d $FILES ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-# you need to run this as a regular user with sudo priviledges
+# If stack.sh is run as root, it automatically creates a stack user with
+# sudo privileges and runs as that user.
 if [[ $EUID -eq 0 ]]; then
-   echo "This script cannot be run as root." 1>&2
-   echo "You should run this script as the user you wish openstack to run as" 1>&2
-   echo "The user will need to be a sudoer (without password)" 1>&2
-   exit 1
+   echo "You are running this script as root."
+   apt-get update
+   apt-get install -y sudo
+   if ! getent passwd | grep -q stack; then
+       echo "Creating a user called stack"
+       useradd -g sudo -s /bin/bash -m stack
+    fi
+    echo "Making sure stack has passwordless sudo"
+    sed -i "/^%sudo/ { / ALL/ { s/ ALL/ NOPASSWD:ALL/ }}" /etc/sudoers
+    echo "Copying files to stack user"
+    cp -r -f `pwd` /home/stack/
+    THIS_DIR=$(basename $(dirname $(readlink -f $0)))
+    chown -R stack:sudo /home/stack/$THIS_DIR
+    echo "Running the script as stack in 3 seconds..."
+    sleep 3
+    exec su -c "cd /home/stack/$THIS_DIR/; bash stack.sh; bash" stack
+    exit 0
 fi