diff --git a/hardening.yaml b/hardening.yaml
index 314bb385..e591e509 100644
--- a/hardening.yaml
+++ b/hardening.yaml
@@ -3,3 +3,6 @@
 ssh:
   server:
     use_pam: 'yes' # juju requires this
+apache:
+  hardening:
+    modules_to_disable: ['status']
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/hardening/audits/apache.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/hardening/audits/apache.py
index d812948a..d32bf44e 100644
--- a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/hardening/audits/apache.py
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/hardening/audits/apache.py
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ class DisabledModuleAudit(BaseAudit):
         """Returns the modules which are enabled in Apache."""
         output = subprocess.check_output(['apache2ctl', '-M'])
         modules = []
-        for line in output.strip().split():
+        for line in output.splitlines():
             # Each line of the enabled module output looks like:
             #  module_name (static|shared)
             # Plus a header line at the top of the output which is stripped
             # out by the regex.
-            matcher = re.search(r'^ (\S*)', line)
+            matcher = re.search(r'^ (\S*)_module (\S*)', line)
             if matcher:
                 modules.append(matcher.group(1))
         return modules
diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/core/hookenv.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/core/hookenv.py
index 12f37b28..899722fd 100644
--- a/hooks/charmhelpers/core/hookenv.py
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/core/hookenv.py
@@ -218,6 +218,8 @@ def principal_unit():
         for rid in relation_ids(reltype):
             for unit in related_units(rid):
                 md = _metadata_unit(unit)
+                if not md:
+                    continue
                 subordinate = md.pop('subordinate', None)
                 if not subordinate:
                     return unit
@@ -511,7 +513,10 @@ def _metadata_unit(unit):
     """
     basedir = os.sep.join(charm_dir().split(os.sep)[:-2])
     unitdir = 'unit-{}'.format(unit.replace(os.sep, '-'))
-    with open(os.path.join(basedir, unitdir, 'charm', 'metadata.yaml')) as md:
+    joineddir = os.path.join(basedir, unitdir, 'charm', 'metadata.yaml')
+    if not os.path.exists(joineddir):
+        return None
+    with open(joineddir) as md:
         return yaml.safe_load(md)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/basic_deployment.py b/tests/basic_deployment.py
index 1e0955a9..44fdec66 100644
--- a/tests/basic_deployment.py
+++ b/tests/basic_deployment.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import amulet
 import os
 import urllib2
 import yaml
+import time
 
 from charmhelpers.contrib.openstack.amulet.deployment import (
     OpenStackAmuletDeployment
@@ -234,6 +235,29 @@ class OpenstackDashboardBasicDeployment(OpenStackAmuletDeployment):
             msg = "Dashboard frontpage check failed"
             amulet.raise_status(amulet.FAIL, msg=msg)
 
+    def test_404_connection(self):
+        """Verify the apache status module gets disabled when
+        hardening apache."""
+
+        u.log.debug('Checking apache mod_status gets disabled.')
+        unit = self.openstack_dashboard_sentry
+        dashboard_relation = unit.relation('identity-service',
+                                           'keystone:identity-service')
+        dashboard_ip = dashboard_relation['private-address']
+
+        u.log.debug('Enabling hardening for apache...')
+        self.d.configure('openstack-dashboard', {'harden': 'apache'})
+        time.sleep(5)  # wait for hook to run
+        self.d.sentry.wait()  # wait for hook to finish
+
+        try:
+            urllib2.urlopen('http://%s/server-status' % (dashboard_ip))
+        except urllib2.HTTPError as e:
+            if e.code == 404:
+                return
+        msg = "Apache mod_status check failed."
+        amulet.raise_status(amulet.FAIL, msg=msg)
+
     def test_900_restart_on_config_change(self):
         """Verify that the specified services are restarted when the
         config is changed."""
diff --git a/tests/charmhelpers/core/hookenv.py b/tests/charmhelpers/core/hookenv.py
index 12f37b28..899722fd 100644
--- a/tests/charmhelpers/core/hookenv.py
+++ b/tests/charmhelpers/core/hookenv.py
@@ -218,6 +218,8 @@ def principal_unit():
         for rid in relation_ids(reltype):
             for unit in related_units(rid):
                 md = _metadata_unit(unit)
+                if not md:
+                    continue
                 subordinate = md.pop('subordinate', None)
                 if not subordinate:
                     return unit
@@ -511,7 +513,10 @@ def _metadata_unit(unit):
     """
     basedir = os.sep.join(charm_dir().split(os.sep)[:-2])
     unitdir = 'unit-{}'.format(unit.replace(os.sep, '-'))
-    with open(os.path.join(basedir, unitdir, 'charm', 'metadata.yaml')) as md:
+    joineddir = os.path.join(basedir, unitdir, 'charm', 'metadata.yaml')
+    if not os.path.exists(joineddir):
+        return None
+    with open(joineddir) as md:
         return yaml.safe_load(md)