diff --git a/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/init.pp b/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/init.pp
index 962000b6be..9ada601e48 100644
--- a/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/init.pp
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 
 class ceph (
 # General settings
-  $mon_hosts,
-  $mon_ip_addresses,
+  $mon_hosts                          = undef,
+  $mon_ip_addresses                   = undef,
   $cluster_node_address               = $::ipaddress, # This should be the cluster service address
   $primary_mon                        = $::hostname,  # This should be the first controller
   $mon_addr                           = $::ipaddress, # This needs to be replaced with the address we want to bind the mon to (if this is a mon)
@@ -94,8 +94,12 @@ class ceph (
     cwd  => '/root',
   }
 
+  # the regex includes all roles that require ceph.conf
   if roles_include(['primary-controller', 'controller', 'ceph-mon', 'ceph-osd', 'compute', 'cinder']) {
-  # the regex above includes all roles that require ceph.conf
+
+    validate_array($mon_hosts)
+    validate_array($mon_ip_addresses)
+
     include ceph::ssh
     include ceph::params
     include ceph::conf
@@ -104,8 +108,8 @@ class ceph (
 
   if roles_include(['primary-controller', 'controller', 'ceph-mon', 'ceph-osd']) {
     service { 'ceph':
-      name    => $ceph::params::service_name,
       ensure  => 'running',
+      name    => $ceph::params::service_name,
       enable  => true,
       require => Class['ceph::conf']
     }
@@ -137,6 +141,13 @@ class ceph (
       include ceph::osds
       Class['ceph::conf'] -> Class['ceph::osds']
       Ceph_conf <||> ~> Service['ceph']
+
+      # set the recommended value according: http://tracker.ceph.com/issues/10988
+      sysctl::value { 'kernel.pid_max':
+        value  => '4194303',
+      }
+
+      Sysctl::Value <| |> -> Service['ceph']
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/keystone.pp b/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/keystone.pp
index 12530fa5df..5935beac62 100644
--- a/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/keystone.pp
+++ b/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/keystone.pp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class ceph::keystone (
     description => 'Openstack Object-Store Service',
   }
 
-  keystone_endpoint {"$region/swift":
+  keystone_endpoint {"${region}/swift":
     ensure       => present,
     public_url   => "${pub_protocol}://${pub_ip}:${swift_endpoint_port}/swift/v1",
     admin_url    => "http://${adm_ip}:${swift_endpoint_port}/swift/v1",
diff --git a/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/nova_compute.pp b/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/nova_compute.pp
index 48705b1be5..36134edf18 100644
--- a/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/nova_compute.pp
+++ b/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/nova_compute.pp
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ class ceph::nova_compute (
 
   if !defined(Service['libvirt'] ) {
     service { 'libvirt':
-      name   => $::ceph::params::libvirt_service_name,
       ensure => 'running',
+      name   => $::ceph::params::libvirt_service_name,
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/radosgw.pp b/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/radosgw.pp
index 4d38e7f4e0..fd23d8110a 100644
--- a/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/radosgw.pp
+++ b/deployment/puppet/ceph/manifests/radosgw.pp
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ class ceph::radosgw (
   # check out httpd package/service is defined
   if !defined(Package['httpd']) {
     package { 'httpd':
-      name   => $::ceph::params::package_httpd,
       ensure => 'installed',
+      name   => $::ceph::params::package_httpd,
     }
   }