diff --git a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/storage/linux/ceph.py b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/storage/linux/ceph.py
index ae7f3f9..9417d68 100644
--- a/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/storage/linux/ceph.py
+++ b/hooks/charmhelpers/contrib/storage/linux/ceph.py
@@ -987,18 +987,20 @@ def ensure_ceph_storage(service, pool, rbd_img, sizemb, mount_point,
             service_start(svc)
 
 
-def ensure_ceph_keyring(service, user=None, group=None, relation='ceph'):
+def ensure_ceph_keyring(service, user=None, group=None,
+                        relation='ceph', key=None):
     """Ensures a ceph keyring is created for a named service and optionally
     ensures user and group ownership.
 
-    Returns False if no ceph key is available in relation state.
+    @returns boolean: Flag to indicate whether a key was successfully written
+                      to disk based on either relation data or a supplied key
     """
-    key = None
-    for rid in relation_ids(relation):
-        for unit in related_units(rid):
-            key = relation_get('key', rid=rid, unit=unit)
-            if key:
-                break
+    if not key:
+        for rid in relation_ids(relation):
+            for unit in related_units(rid):
+                key = relation_get('key', rid=rid, unit=unit)
+                if key:
+                    break
 
     if not key:
         return False
diff --git a/hooks/cinder_contexts.py b/hooks/cinder_contexts.py
index 01088ac..d2bbdb0 100644
--- a/hooks/cinder_contexts.py
+++ b/hooks/cinder_contexts.py
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@ from charmhelpers.contrib.openstack.context import (
     OSContextGenerator,
 )
 
-from charmhelpers.contrib.openstack.utils import get_os_codename_package
+from charmhelpers.contrib.openstack.utils import (
+    get_os_codename_package,
+    CompareOpenStackReleases,
+)
 
 
 class CephSubordinateContext(OSContextGenerator):
@@ -37,7 +40,7 @@ class CephSubordinateContext(OSContextGenerator):
             return {}
         service = service_name()
         os_codename = get_os_codename_package('cinder-common')
-        if os_codename >= "icehouse":
+        if CompareOpenStackReleases(os_codename) >= "icehouse":
             volume_driver = 'cinder.volume.drivers.rbd.RBDDriver'
         else:
             volume_driver = 'cinder.volume.driver.RBDDriver'