diff --git a/src/cloud/ec2/bin/econe-run-instances b/src/cloud/ec2/bin/econe-run-instances
index e2d33ecf2c..5976650a6f 100755
--- a/src/cloud/ec2/bin/econe-run-instances
+++ b/src/cloud/ec2/bin/econe-run-instances
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ opts = GetoptLong.new(
             ['--secret-key', '-S',GetoptLong::REQUIRED_ARGUMENT],
             ['--url',        '-U',GetoptLong::REQUIRED_ARGUMENT],
             ['--type',       '-t',GetoptLong::REQUIRED_ARGUMENT],
+            ['--user-data',  '-d',GetoptLong::REQUIRED_ARGUMENT],
             ['--headers',    '-H',GetoptLong::NO_ARGUMENT]
        )
 
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ access  = nil
 secret  = nil
 auth    = nil
 type    = nil
+user_data = nil
 
 begin
     opts.each do |opt, arg|
@@ -93,6 +95,8 @@ begin
                 type = arg
             when '--headers'
                 headers = true
+            when '--user-data'
+                user_data = arg
         end
     end
 rescue Exception => e
@@ -119,7 +123,7 @@ rescue Exception => e
     exit -1
 end
 
-rc = ec2_client.run_instances(image_id,type)
+rc = ec2_client.run_instances(image_id,type, user_data)
 
 if CloudClient::is_error?(rc)
     puts "#{cmd_name}: #{rc.message}"
diff --git a/src/cloud/ec2/lib/EC2QueryClient.rb b/src/cloud/ec2/lib/EC2QueryClient.rb
index 0f0e56ae92..aa08866075 100644
--- a/src/cloud/ec2/lib/EC2QueryClient.rb
+++ b/src/cloud/ec2/lib/EC2QueryClient.rb
@@ -97,13 +97,15 @@ module EC2QueryClient
         # :image_id
         # :instance_type
         ######################################################################
-        def run_instances(ami_id, type)
+        def run_instances(ami_id, type, user_data=nil)
             begin
                 response = @ec2_connection.run_instances(
-                                :image_id      => ami_id,
-                                :min_count     => 1,
-                                :max_count     => 1,
-                                :instance_type => type
+                                :image_id       => ami_id,
+                                :min_count      => 1,
+                                :max_count      => 1,
+                                :instance_type  => type,
+                                :user_data      => user_data,
+                                :base64_encoded => true
                            )            
             rescue Exception => e
                 error = CloudClient::Error.new(e.message)
diff --git a/src/cloud/ec2/lib/EC2QueryServer.rb b/src/cloud/ec2/lib/EC2QueryServer.rb
index 234610548e..c07e766a0b 100644
--- a/src/cloud/ec2/lib/EC2QueryServer.rb
+++ b/src/cloud/ec2/lib/EC2QueryServer.rb
@@ -211,11 +211,14 @@ class EC2QueryServer < CloudServer
         # Build the VM 
         erb_vm_info=Hash.new
 
+        
         erb_vm_info[:img_path]      = image.path
         erb_vm_info[:img_id]        = params['ImageId']
         erb_vm_info[:instance_type] = instance_type_name
         erb_vm_info[:template]      = @config[:template_location] + 
                                        "/#{instance_type['TEMPLATE']}"
+        erb_vm_info[:user_data]     = params['UserData']
+        
         template      = ERB.new(File.read(erb_vm_info[:template]))
         template_text = template.result(binding)
  
diff --git a/src/cloud/ec2/lib/econe-server.rb b/src/cloud/ec2/lib/econe-server.rb
index 58f8f668a5..9fbc06f46e 100644
--- a/src/cloud/ec2/lib/econe-server.rb
+++ b/src/cloud/ec2/lib/econe-server.rb
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ helpers do
             message = 'Specified AMI ID does not exist'
         when 'Unsupported'
             message = 'The instance type or feature is not supported in your requested Availability Zone.'
+        else 
+            message = code
         end
         
         xml = "<Response><Errors><Error><Code>"+