diff --git a/chef/lib/chef/provider/mdadm.rb b/chef/lib/chef/provider/mdadm.rb
index 4c1905f6fca..0f9712b6bca 100644
--- a/chef/lib/chef/provider/mdadm.rb
+++ b/chef/lib/chef/provider/mdadm.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class Mdadm < Chef::Provider
 
       #include Chef::Mixin::Command
       include Chef::Mixin::ShellOut
-      
+
       def popen4
         raise Exception, "deprecated, bitches"
       end
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def load_current_resource
 
       def action_create
         unless @current_resource.exists
-          command = "yes | mdadm --create #{@new_resource.raid_device} --chunk=#{@new_resource.chunk} --level #{@new_resource.level} --raid-devices #{@new_resource.devices.length} #{@new_resource.devices.join(" ")}"
+          command = "yes | mdadm --create #{@new_resource.raid_device} --chunk=#{@new_resource.chunk} --level #{@new_resource.level} --metadata=#{@new_resource.metadata} --raid-devices #{@new_resource.devices.length} #{@new_resource.devices.join(" ")}"
           Chef::Log.debug("#{@new_resource} mdadm command: #{command}")
           #pid, stdin, stdout, stderr = popen4(command)
           shell_out!(command)
diff --git a/chef/lib/chef/resource/mdadm.rb b/chef/lib/chef/resource/mdadm.rb
index dbbd537d984..25f6d29cbc5 100644
--- a/chef/lib/chef/resource/mdadm.rb
+++ b/chef/lib/chef/resource/mdadm.rb
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 class Chef
   class Resource
     class Mdadm < Chef::Resource
-      
+
       def initialize(name, run_context=nil)
         super
         @resource_name = :mdadm
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ def initialize(name, run_context=nil)
         @devices = []
         @exists = false
         @level = 1
+        @metadata = "0.90"
         @raid_device = name
 
         @action = :create
@@ -68,6 +69,14 @@ def level(arg=nil)
         )
       end
 
+      def metadata(arg=nil)
+        set_or_return(
+          :metadata,
+          arg,
+          :kind_of => [ String ]
+        )
+      end
+
       def raid_device(arg=nil)
         set_or_return(
           :raid_device,
diff --git a/chef/spec/unit/provider/mdadm_spec.rb b/chef/spec/unit/provider/mdadm_spec.rb
index 68bd1fd9359..9eae4f1faf8 100644
--- a/chef/spec/unit/provider/mdadm_spec.rb
+++ b/chef/spec/unit/provider/mdadm_spec.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
     # @stderr = mock("STDERR", :null_object => true)
     # @pid = mock("PID", :null_object => true)
   end
-  
+
   describe "when determining the current metadevice status" do
 
     it "should set the current resources mount point to the new resources mount point" do
@@ -49,14 +49,14 @@
       @provider.current_resource.name.should == '/dev/md1'
       @provider.current_resource.raid_device.should == '/dev/md1'
     end
-    
+
     it "determines that the metadevice exists when mdadm output shows the metadevice" do
       @provider.stub!(:shell_out!).with("mdadm --detail --scan").and_return(OpenStruct.new(:stdout => '/dev/md1'))
       @provider.load_current_resource
       @provider.current_resource.exists.should be_true
     end
   end
-  
+
   describe "after the metadevice status is known" do
     before(:each) do
       @current_resource = Chef::Resource::Mdadm.new('/dev/md1')
@@ -67,11 +67,11 @@
 
       @provider.current_resource = @current_resource
     end
-    
+
     describe "when creating the metadevice" do
       it "should create the raid device if it doesnt exist" do
         @current_resource.exists(false)
-        expected_command = "yes | mdadm --create /dev/md1 --chunk=256 --level 1 --raid-devices 2 /dev/sdz1 /dev/sdz2"
+        expected_command = "yes | mdadm --create /dev/md1 --chunk=256 --level 1 --metadata=0.90 --raid-devices 2 /dev/sdz1 /dev/sdz2"
         @provider.should_receive(:shell_out!).with(expected_command)
         @provider.action_create
       end
diff --git a/chef/spec/unit/resource/mdadm_spec.rb b/chef/spec/unit/resource/mdadm_spec.rb
index 7d24ffd0bae..f6e77b9ff98 100644
--- a/chef/spec/unit/resource/mdadm_spec.rb
+++ b/chef/spec/unit/resource/mdadm_spec.rb
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@
     @resource.level.should eql(1)
   end
 
+  it "should allow you to set the metadata attribute" do
+    @resource.metadata "1.2"
+    @resource.metadata.should eql("1.2")
+  end
+
   it "should allow you to set the devices attribute" do
     @resource.devices ["/dev/sda", "/dev/sdb"]
     @resource.devices.should eql(["/dev/sda", "/dev/sdb"])