diff --git a/lib/backstop/collectd/parser.rb b/lib/backstop/collectd/parser.rb
index daed805..be56b3c 100644
--- a/lib/backstop/collectd/parser.rb
+++ b/lib/backstop/collectd/parser.rb
@@ -37,11 +37,10 @@ def parse_base
   def parse_plugin
     plugin = data['plugin']
     method = "parse_plugin_#{plugin}".to_sym
-    if self.respond_to? method
-      send(method)
-    else
-      []
+    unless self.respond_to? method
+      method = :parse_plugin_generic
     end
+    send(method)
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/lib/backstop/collectd/plugins/generic.rb b/lib/backstop/collectd/plugins/generic.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c23db4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/backstop/collectd/plugins/generic.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+class CollectdData
+  # disk partition stats
+  def parse_plugin_generic
+    [
+     { metric: "#{data['type']}.#{data['type_instance']}", value: data['values'][0] },
+    ]
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/backstop/generic_collectd_data.json b/spec/backstop/generic_collectd_data.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cec2d43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/backstop/generic_collectd_data.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+[
+  {
+    "values":[42], 
+    "dstypes":["derive"], 
+    "dsnames":["value"], 
+    "time":1423949215.334, 
+    "interval":10.0, 
+    "host":"leeloo.octo.it", 
+    "plugin":"irq", 
+    "plugin_instance":"", 
+    "type":"irq", 
+    "type_instance":"IWI"
+  }
+]
diff --git a/spec/backstop/web_spec.rb b/spec/backstop/web_spec.rb
index dffbcba..8e32de8 100644
--- a/spec/backstop/web_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/backstop/web_spec.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ def app
   context 'POST /collectd' do
     let(:good_collectd_data) { File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/good_collectd_data.json').read }
     let(:bad_collectd_data) { File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/bad_collectd_data.json').read }
+    let(:generic_collectd_data) { File.open(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/generic_collectd_data.json').read }
 
     it 'should require JSON' do
       post '/collectd', 'foo'
@@ -70,6 +71,15 @@ def app
       last_response.status.should eq(400)
       last_response.body.should eq('missing fields')
     end
+
+    it 'should handle a generic collectd metric' do
+      p = double('publisher')
+      Backstop::Publisher.should_receive(:new) { p }
+      p.should_receive(:publish).with('mitt.leeloo.octo.it.irq.IWI', 42, 1423949215.334)
+      post '/collectd', generic_collectd_data
+      last_response.body.should eq('ok')
+      last_response.status.should eq(200)
+    end
   end
 
   context 'POST /github' do