diff --git a/exercise.sh b/exercise.sh
index f512691..61c7b08 100755
--- a/exercise.sh
+++ b/exercise.sh
@@ -127,6 +127,28 @@ if ! timeout 10 sh -c "while ! ping -c1 -w1 $FLOATING_IP; do sleep 1; done"; the
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# pause the VM and verify we can't ping it anymore
+nova pause $NAME
+
+sleep 2
+
+if ( ping -c1 -w1 $IP); then
+    echo "Pause failure - ping shouldn't work"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if ( ping -c1 -w1 $FLOATING_IP); then
+    echo "Pause failure - ping floating ips shouldn't work"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# unpause the VM and verify we can ping it again
+nova unpause $NAME
+
+sleep 2
+
+ping -c1 -w1 $IP
+
 # dis-allow icmp traffic (ping)
 nova secgroup-delete-rule $SECGROUP icmp -1 -1 0.0.0.0/0
 
diff --git a/stack.sh b/stack.sh
index f45797a..6a027d0 100755
--- a/stack.sh
+++ b/stack.sh
@@ -613,6 +613,7 @@ function add_nova_flag {
 rm -f $NOVA_DIR/bin/nova.conf
 add_nova_flag "--verbose"
 add_nova_flag "--nodaemon"
+add_nova_flag "--allow_admin_api"
 add_nova_flag "--scheduler_driver=$SCHEDULER"
 add_nova_flag "--dhcpbridge_flagfile=$NOVA_DIR/bin/nova.conf"
 add_nova_flag "--network_manager=nova.network.manager.$NET_MAN"