diff --git a/nova/service.py b/nova/service.py
index 2d7961ab94d0..d53d92b65494 100644
--- a/nova/service.py
+++ b/nova/service.py
@@ -49,15 +49,17 @@ flags.DEFINE_integer('periodic_interval', 60,
 class Service(object, service.Service):
     """Base class for workers that run on hosts."""
 
-    def __init__(self, host, binary, topic, manager, *args, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, host, binary, topic, manager, report_interval=None,
+                 periodic_interval=None, *args, **kwargs):
         self.host = host
         self.binary = binary
         self.topic = topic
         self.manager_class_name = manager
+        self.report_interval = report_interval
+        self.periodic_interval = periodic_interval
         super(Service, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         self.saved_args, self.saved_kwargs = args, kwargs
 
-
     def startService(self):  # pylint: disable-msg C0103
         manager_class = utils.import_class(self.manager_class_name)
         self.manager = manager_class(host=self.host, *self.saved_args,
@@ -73,6 +75,26 @@ class Service(object, service.Service):
         except exception.NotFound:
             self._create_service_ref(ctxt)
 
+        conn = rpc.Connection.instance()
+        if self.report_interval:
+            consumer_all = rpc.AdapterConsumer(
+                    connection=conn,
+                    topic=self.topic,
+                    proxy=self)
+            consumer_node = rpc.AdapterConsumer(
+                    connection=conn,
+                    topic='%s.%s' % (self.topic, self.host),
+                    proxy=self)
+
+            consumer_all.attach_to_twisted()
+            consumer_node.attach_to_twisted()
+
+            pulse = task.LoopingCall(self.report_state)
+            pulse.start(interval=self.report_interval, now=False)
+
+        if self.periodic_interval:
+            pulse = task.LoopingCall(self.periodic_tasks)
+            pulse.start(interval=self.periodic_interval, now=False)
 
     def _create_service_ref(self, context):
         service_ref = db.service_create(context,
@@ -83,10 +105,8 @@ class Service(object, service.Service):
         self.service_id = service_ref['id']
 
     def __getattr__(self, key):
-        try:
-            return super(Service, self).__getattr__(key)
-        except AttributeError:
-            return getattr(self.manager, key)
+        manager = self.__dict__.get('manager', None)
+        return getattr(manager, key)
 
     @classmethod
     def create(cls,
@@ -119,25 +139,8 @@ class Service(object, service.Service):
         if not periodic_interval:
             periodic_interval = FLAGS.periodic_interval
         logging.warn("Starting %s node", topic)
-        service_obj = cls(host, binary, topic, manager)
-        conn = rpc.Connection.instance()
-        consumer_all = rpc.AdapterConsumer(
-                connection=conn,
-                topic=topic,
-                proxy=service_obj)
-        consumer_node = rpc.AdapterConsumer(
-                connection=conn,
-                topic='%s.%s' % (topic, host),
-                proxy=service_obj)
-
-        consumer_all.attach_to_twisted()
-        consumer_node.attach_to_twisted()
-
-        pulse = task.LoopingCall(service_obj.report_state)
-        pulse.start(interval=report_interval, now=False)
-
-        pulse = task.LoopingCall(service_obj.periodic_tasks)
-        pulse.start(interval=periodic_interval, now=False)
+        service_obj = cls(host, binary, topic, manager,
+                          report_interval, periodic_interval)
 
         # This is the parent service that twistd will be looking for when it
         # parses this file, return it so that we can get it into globals.
diff --git a/nova/tests/service_unittest.py b/nova/tests/service_unittest.py
index 61db52742b68..8533fab0a8ca 100644
--- a/nova/tests/service_unittest.py
+++ b/nova/tests/service_unittest.py
@@ -39,11 +39,44 @@ flags.DEFINE_string("fake_manager", "nova.tests.service_unittest.FakeManager",
 
 class FakeManager(manager.Manager):
     """Fake manager for tests"""
-    pass
+    def test_method(self):
+        return 'manager'
+
+
+class ExtendedService(service.Service):
+    def test_method(self):
+        return 'service'
+
+
+class ServiceManagerTestCase(test.BaseTestCase):
+    """Test cases for Services"""
+
+    def test_attribute_error_for_no_manager(self):
+        serv = service.Service('test',
+                               'test',
+                               'test',
+                               'nova.tests.service_unittest.FakeManager')
+        self.assertRaises(AttributeError, getattr, serv, 'test_method')
+
+    def test_message_gets_to_manager(self):
+        serv = service.Service('test',
+                               'test',
+                               'test',
+                               'nova.tests.service_unittest.FakeManager')
+        serv.startService()
+        self.assertEqual(serv.test_method(), 'manager')
+
+    def test_override_manager_method(self):
+        serv = ExtendedService('test',
+                               'test',
+                               'test',
+                               'nova.tests.service_unittest.FakeManager')
+        serv.startService()
+        self.assertEqual(serv.test_method(), 'service')
 
 
 class ServiceTestCase(test.BaseTestCase):
-    """Test cases for rpc"""
+    """Test cases for Services"""
 
     def setUp(self):  # pylint: disable=C0103
         super(ServiceTestCase, self).setUp()
@@ -54,6 +87,11 @@ class ServiceTestCase(test.BaseTestCase):
         host = 'foo'
         binary = 'nova-fake'
         topic = 'fake'
+
+        # NOTE(vish): Create was moved out of mox replay to make sure that
+        #             the looping calls are created in StartService.
+        app = service.Service.create(host=host, binary=binary)
+
         self.mox.StubOutWithMock(rpc,
                                  'AdapterConsumer',
                                  use_mock_anything=True)
@@ -99,7 +137,6 @@ class ServiceTestCase(test.BaseTestCase):
                                   service_create).AndReturn(service_ref)
         self.mox.ReplayAll()
 
-        app = service.Service.create(host=host, binary=binary)
         startApplication(app, False)
         self.assert_(app)
 
@@ -190,3 +227,4 @@ class ServiceTestCase(test.BaseTestCase):
         rv = yield s.report_state(host, binary)
 
         self.assert_(not s.model_disconnected)
+