diff --git a/chef/lib/chef/provider/service/debian.rb b/chef/lib/chef/provider/service/debian.rb
index f7235b5c994..c806882bbe5 100644
--- a/chef/lib/chef/provider/service/debian.rb
+++ b/chef/lib/chef/provider/service/debian.rb
@@ -51,16 +51,51 @@ def service_currently_enabled?
           assert_update_rcd_available
 
           status = popen4("/usr/sbin/update-rc.d -n -f #{@current_resource.service_name} remove") do |pid, stdin, stdout, stderr|
+            priority = {}
+            enabled = false
+            status_re = /etc\/rc([\dS]).d\/([SK])(\d\d)/i
             stdout.each_line do |line|
-              return true if line =~ UPDATE_RC_D_ENABLED_MATCHES
+              if status_re.match(line)
+                priority[$1] = [($2 == "S" ? :start : :stop), $3]
+              end
+              if line =~ UPDATE_RC_D_ENABLED_MATCHES
+                enabled = true
+              end
             end
+            @current_resource.enabled enabled
+            @current_resource.priority priority
           end  
 
           unless status.exitstatus == 0
             raise Chef::Exceptions::Service, "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d -n -f #{@current_resource.service_name} failed - #{status.inspect}"
           end
-          
-          false
+          @current_resource.enabled
+        end
+
+        def enable_service()
+          # If we have a priority which is just a number, we have to
+          # construct the actual priority object
+
+          if @new_resource.priority.is_a? Integer
+            run_command(:command => "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d #{@new_resource.service_name} defaults #{@new_resource.priority} #{100 - @new_resource.priority}")
+          elsif @new_resource.priority.is_a? Hash
+            args = ""
+            @new_resource.priority.each do |level, o|
+              action = o[0]
+              priority = o[1]
+              args += "#{action} #{priority} #{level} . "
+            end
+            run_command(:command => "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d #{@new_resource.service_name} #{args}")
+          else # No priority, go with update-rc.d defaults
+            run_command(:command => "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d #{@new_resource.service_name} defaults")
+          end
+
+        end
+
+        def disable_service()
+          run_command(:command => "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d #{@new_resource.service_name} disable")
+#          @new_resource.priority({2 => [:stop, 80]})
+#          enable_service
         end
         
       end
diff --git a/chef/lib/chef/resource/service.rb b/chef/lib/chef/resource/service.rb
index d118f09c804..6720cc4882c 100644
--- a/chef/lib/chef/resource/service.rb
+++ b/chef/lib/chef/resource/service.rb
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ def initialize(name, run_context=nil)
         @status_command = nil
         @restart_command = nil
         @reload_command = nil
+        @priority = nil
         @action = "nothing"
         @startup_type = :automatic
         @supports = { :restart => false, :reload => false, :status => false }
@@ -119,6 +120,22 @@ def running(arg=nil)
         )
       end
 
+      # Priority arguments can have two forms:
+      #
+      # - a simple number, in which the default start runlevels get
+      #   that as the start value and stop runlevels get 100 - value.
+      #
+      # - a hash like { 2 => [:start, 20], 3 => [:stop, 55] }, where
+      #   the service will be marked as started with priority 20 in
+      #   runlevel 2, stopped in 3 with priority 55 and no symlinks or
+      #   similar for other runlevels
+      #
+      def priority(arg=nil)
+        set_or_return(:priority,
+                      arg,
+                      :kind_of => [ Integer, String, Hash ])
+      end
+
       def supports(args={})
         if args.is_a? Array
           args.each { |arg| @supports[arg] = true }
diff --git a/chef/spec/unit/provider/service/debian_service_spec.rb b/chef/spec/unit/provider/service/debian_service_spec.rb
index 94c87ac4cee..bcb9918d4df 100644
--- a/chef/spec/unit/provider/service/debian_service_spec.rb
+++ b/chef/spec/unit/provider/service/debian_service_spec.rb
@@ -102,18 +102,39 @@
 
   end
 
-  describe "when enabling a service" do
-
+  describe "when enabling a service without priority" do
     it "should call update-rc.d 'service_name' defaults" do
       @provider.should_receive(:run_command).with({:command => "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d #{@new_resource.service_name} defaults"})
       @provider.enable_service()
     end
   end
+  
+  describe "when enabling a service with simple priority" do
+    before do
+      @new_resource.stub!(:priority).and_return(75)
+    end
 
+    it "should call update-rc.d 'service_name' defaults" do
+      @provider.should_receive(:run_command).with({:command => "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d #{@new_resource.service_name} defaults 75 25"})
+      @provider.enable_service()
+    end
+  end
+  
+  describe "when enabling a service with complex priorities" do
+    before do
+      @new_resource.stub!(:priority).and_return({ 2 => [:start, 20], 3 => [:stop, 55] })
+    end
+
+    it "should call update-rc.d 'service_name' defaults" do
+      @provider.should_receive(:run_command).with({:command => "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d #{@new_resource.service_name} start 20 2 . stop 55 3 . "})
+      @provider.enable_service()
+    end
+  end
+  
   describe "when disabling a service" do
 
-    it "should call update-rc.d -f 'service_name' remove" do
-      @provider.should_receive(:run_command).with({:command => "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d -f #{@new_resource.service_name} remove"})
+    it "should call update-rc.d 'service_name' disable" do
+      @provider.should_receive(:run_command).with({:command => "/usr/sbin/update-rc.d #{@new_resource.service_name} disable"})
       @provider.disable_service()
     end
   end