diff --git a/manifests/peer.pp b/manifests/peer.pp
index cd490af3..35465a6d 100644
--- a/manifests/peer.pp
+++ b/manifests/peer.pp
@@ -56,12 +56,23 @@
 
       # and we don't want to attach a server that is already a member
       # of the current pool
-      $peers = split($::gluster_peer_list, ',' )
-      if ! member($peers, $title) {
-        exec { "gluster peer probe ${title}":
-          command => "${binary} peer probe ${title}",
+      if $::gluster_peer_list != undef {
+        $peers = split($::gluster_peer_list, ',' )
+        if ! member($peers, $title) {
+          $already_in_pool = false
+        } else {
+          $already_in_pool = true
         }
+      } else {
+        $already_in_pool = false
+      }
+      
+      if !$already_in_pool {
+        exec { "gluster peer probe ${title}":
+            command => "${binary} peer probe ${title}",
+          }
       }
+      
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/manifests/volume.pp b/manifests/volume.pp
index 6a709748..a0920116 100644
--- a/manifests/volume.pp
+++ b/manifests/volume.pp
@@ -101,8 +101,20 @@
   $binary = $::gluster_binary
   if $binary{
     # we need the Gluster binary to do anything!
+    
+    if $::gluster_peer_list != undef{
+      $minimal_requirements = true
+    } else {
+      $minimal_requirements = false
+    }
+    
+    if $::gluster_volume_list != undef and member( split( $::gluster_volume_list, ',' ), $title ) {
+      $already_exists = true
+    } else {
+      $already_exists = false
+    }
 
-    if ! member( split( $::gluster_volume_list, ',' ), $title ) {
+    if $minimal_requirements and $already_exists == false {
       # this volume has not yet been created
 
       # before we can create it, we need to ensure that all the
@@ -139,7 +151,7 @@
           #  volume:option
           $vol_opts = prefix( $_options, "${title}:" )
           # now we make some YAML, and then parse that to get a Puppet hash
-          $yaml = join( regsubst( $vol_opts, ': ', ":\n  value: ", G), "\n")
+          $yaml = join( regsubst( $vol_opts, ': ', ":\n  value: ", 'G'), "\n")
           $hoh = parseyaml($yaml)
 
           # safety check
@@ -161,7 +173,7 @@
         }
       }
 
-    } else {
+    } elsif $already_exists {
       # this volume exists
 
       # our fact lists bricks comma-separated, but we need an array
@@ -179,7 +191,7 @@
           # number of bricks to add is a factor of that value
           if $stripe {
             if ( count($new_bricks) % $stripe ) != 0 {
-              fail("Number of bricks to add is not a multiple of stripe count ${stipe}")
+              fail("Number of bricks to add is not a multiple of stripe count ${stripe}")
             }
             $s = "stripe ${stripe}"
           } else {
@@ -256,7 +268,7 @@
           # so build up the hash correctly
           #
           $remove_opts = prefix( $to_remove, "${title}:" )
-          $remove_yaml = join( regsubst( $remove_opts, ': .+$', ":\n  ensure: absent", G ), "\n" )
+          $remove_yaml = join( regsubst( $remove_opts, ': .+$', ":\n  ensure: absent", 'G' ), "\n" )
           $remove = parseyaml($remove_yaml)
           if $remove_options {
             create_resources( ::gluster::volume::option, $remove )
@@ -268,7 +280,7 @@
         if ! empty($to_add) {
           # we have some options defined that are not active. Add them
           $add_opts = prefix( $to_add, "${title}:" )
-          $add_yaml = join( regsubst( $add_opts, ': ', ":\n  value: ", G ), "\n" )
+          $add_yaml = join( regsubst( $add_opts, ': ', ":\n  value: ", 'G' ), "\n" )
           $add = parseyaml($add_yaml)
           create_resources( ::gluster::volume::option, $add )
         }