diff --git a/common/bootstrapinfo.py b/common/bootstrapinfo.py
index 138a537..9a72a8a 100644
--- a/common/bootstrapinfo.py
+++ b/common/bootstrapinfo.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 
 class BootstrapInformation(object):
-	def __init__(self, manifest=None, args=None):
+	def __init__(self, manifest=None, debug=False):
 		self.manifest = manifest
-		self.args     = args
+		self.debug    = debug
diff --git a/common/main.py b/common/main.py
index 8c8899c..9cd8cee 100644
--- a/common/main.py
+++ b/common/main.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-from providers import providers
 
 
 def main():
@@ -6,20 +5,20 @@ def main():
 	parser = ArgumentParser(description='Bootstrap Debian for the cloud.')
 	parser.add_argument('--debug', action='store_true',
 	                    help='Print debugging information')
+	parser.add_argument('manifest', help='Manifest file to use for bootstrapping', metavar='MANIFEST')
 	parser.set_defaults(func=run)
 
-	subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(title='providers', description='supported providers', dest='provider')
-
-	for provider in providers.values():
-		provider.init_subparser(subparsers)
-
 	args = parser.parse_args()
 	args.func(args)
 
 
 def run(args):
-	provider = providers[args.provider]
-	manifest = provider.Manifest(args.manifest)
+	from manifest import load_manifest
+	from manifest import get_provider
+	data = load_manifest(args.manifest)
+	provider = get_provider(data)
+
+	manifest = provider.Manifest(args.manifest, data)
 	manifest.validate()
 	manifest.load_plugins()
 
@@ -27,5 +26,5 @@ def run(args):
 	tasklist.plugins(manifest)
 
 	from common import BootstrapInformation
-	bootstrap_info = BootstrapInformation(manifest, args)
+	bootstrap_info = BootstrapInformation(manifest=manifest, debug=args.debug)
 	tasklist.run(bootstrap_info)
diff --git a/common/manifest.py b/common/manifest.py
index 6aed6a9..5c38c6b 100644
--- a/common/manifest.py
+++ b/common/manifest.py
@@ -1,15 +1,25 @@
-import json
+
+
+def load_manifest(path):
+	import json
+	return json.load(open(path))
+
+
+def get_provider(data):
+	provider = __import__('providers.%s' % data['provider'], fromlist=['providers'])
+	return provider
 
 
 class Manifest(object):
-	def __init__(self, path):
+	def __init__(self, path, data):
 		self.path = path
-		self.parse(json.load(open(self.path)))
+		self.parse(data)
 
 	def parse(self, data):
-		self.volume  = data['volume']
-		self.system  = data['system']
-		self.plugins = data['plugins']
+		self.provider = data['provider']
+		self.volume   = data['volume']
+		self.system   = data['system']
+		self.plugins  = data['plugins']
 
 	def validate(self):
 		pass
diff --git a/providers/__init__.py b/providers/__init__.py
index 179b21d..e69de29 100644
--- a/providers/__init__.py
+++ b/providers/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-import ec2
-
-
-providers = {'ec2': ec2}
diff --git a/providers/ec2/__init__.py b/providers/ec2/__init__.py
index aae1fa6..c7d6077 100644
--- a/providers/ec2/__init__.py
+++ b/providers/ec2/__init__.py
@@ -1,13 +1,6 @@
 from manifest import Manifest
 
 
-def init_subparser(subparsers):
-	sub = subparsers.add_parser('ec2', help='Bootstrap Debian for EC2')
-	sub.add_argument('--access-key', help='AWS Access Key', metavar='ID')
-	sub.add_argument('--secret-key', help='AWS Secret Key', metavar='KEY')
-	sub.add_argument('manifest', help='Manifest file to use for bootstrapping', metavar='MANIFEST')
-
-
 def tasklist(manifest):
 	from common import TaskList
 	import packages
diff --git a/providers/ec2/ec2.py b/providers/ec2/ec2.py
index 2931a71..a8f5fa3 100644
--- a/providers/ec2/ec2.py
+++ b/providers/ec2/ec2.py
@@ -4,14 +4,11 @@ from common import Task
 class GetCredentials(Task):
 	def run(self, info):
 		super(GetCredentials, self).run(info)
-		info.ec2_credentials = self.get_ec2_credentials(info.args, info.manifest)
+		info.ec2_credentials = self.get_ec2_credentials(info.manifest)
 
-	def get_ec2_credentials(self, args, manifest):
+	def get_ec2_credentials(self, manifest):
 		from os import getenv
-		# args override manifest override environment
-		if(args.access_key and args.secret_key):
-			return {'access_key': args.access_key,
-			        'secret_key': args.secret_key}
+		# manifest overrides environment
 		if(manifest.credentials['access-key'] and manifest.credentials['secret-key']):
 			return {'access_key': manifest.credentials['access-key'],
 			        'secret_key': manifest.credentials['secret-key']}
@@ -19,8 +16,6 @@ class GetCredentials(Task):
 			return {'access_key': getenv('EC2_ACCESS_KEY'),
 			        'secret_key': getenv('EC2_SECRET_KEY')}
 
-		if(bool(args.access_key) != bool(args.secret_key)):
-			raise RuntimeError('Both the access key and secret key must be specified as arguments.')
 		if(bool(manifest.credentials['access-key']) != bool(manifest.credentials['secret-key'])):
 			raise RuntimeError('Both the access key and secret key must be specified in the manifest.')
 		if(bool(getenv('EC2_ACCESS_KEY')) != bool(getenv('EC2_SECRET_KEY'))):