diff --git a/cloudbaseinit/metadata/services/httpservice.py b/cloudbaseinit/metadata/services/httpservice.py
index 93ae547b..3cef1786 100644
--- a/cloudbaseinit/metadata/services/httpservice.py
+++ b/cloudbaseinit/metadata/services/httpservice.py
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@
 
 import posixpath
 import urllib2
+import urlparse
 
 from cloudbaseinit.metadata.services import base
 from cloudbaseinit.openstack.common import cfg
 from cloudbaseinit.openstack.common import log as logging
+from cloudbaseinit.osutils import factory as osutils_factory
 
 opts = [
     cfg.StrOpt('metadata_base_url', default='http://169.254.169.254/',
@@ -37,8 +39,38 @@ class HttpService(base.BaseMetadataService):
         super(HttpService, self).__init__()
         self._enable_retry = True
 
+    def _check_metadata_ip_route(self):
+        '''
+        Workaround for: https://bugs.launchpad.net/quantum/+bug/1174657
+        '''
+        osutils = osutils_factory.OSUtilsFactory().get_os_utils()
+
+        os_major_version = int(osutils.get_os_version().split('.')[0])
+        if os_major_version >= 6:
+            # 169.254.x.x addresses are not getting routed starting from
+            # Windows Vista / 2008
+            metadata_netloc = urlparse.urlparse(CONF.metadata_base_url).netloc
+            metadata_host = metadata_netloc.split(':')[0]
+
+            if metadata_host.startswith("169.254."):
+                if not osutils.check_static_route_exists(metadata_host):
+                    (interface_index, gateway) = osutils.get_default_gateway()
+                    if gateway:
+                        try:
+                            osutils.add_static_route(metadata_host,
+                                                     "255.255.255.255",
+                                                     gateway,
+                                                     interface_index,
+                                                     10)
+                        except Exception, ex:
+                            # Ignore it
+                            LOG.exception(ex)
+
     def load(self):
         super(HttpService, self).load()
+
+        self._check_metadata_ip_route()
+
         try:
             self.get_meta_data('openstack')
             return True
diff --git a/cloudbaseinit/osutils/base.py b/cloudbaseinit/osutils/base.py
index 165309dd..1bf3d7d7 100644
--- a/cloudbaseinit/osutils/base.py
+++ b/cloudbaseinit/osutils/base.py
@@ -69,3 +69,16 @@ class BaseOSUtils(object):
 
     def terminate(self):
         pass
+
+    def get_default_gateway(self):
+        pass
+
+    def check_static_route_exists(self, destination):
+        pass
+
+    def add_static_route(self, destination, mask, next_hop, interface_index,
+                         metric):
+        pass
+
+    def get_os_version(self):
+        pass
diff --git a/cloudbaseinit/osutils/windows.py b/cloudbaseinit/osutils/windows.py
index e00803e0..d96c523b 100644
--- a/cloudbaseinit/osutils/windows.py
+++ b/cloudbaseinit/osutils/windows.py
@@ -327,3 +327,48 @@ class WindowsUtils(base.BaseOSUtils):
         # is not enough
         time.sleep(3)
         self._stop_service(self._service_name)
+
+    def get_default_gateway(self):
+        conn = wmi.WMI(moniker='//./root/cimv2')
+        for net_adapter_config in conn.Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration():
+            if net_adapter_config.DefaultIPGateway:
+                return (net_adapter_config.InterfaceIndex,
+                        net_adapter_config.DefaultIPGateway[0])
+        return (None, None)
+
+    def check_static_route_exists(self, destination):
+        conn = wmi.WMI(moniker='//./root/cimv2')
+        return len(conn.Win32_IP4RouteTable(Destination=destination)) > 0
+
+    def add_static_route(self, destination, mask, next_hop, interface_index,
+                         metric):
+        args = ['ROUTE', 'ADD', destination, 'MASK', mask, next_hop]
+        (out, err, ret_val) = self.execute_process(args)
+        # Cannot use the return value to determine the outcome
+        if err:
+            raise Exception('Unable to add route: %(err)s' % locals())
+
+        # TODO(alexpilotti): The following code creates the route properly and
+        # "route print" shows the added route, but routing to the destination
+        # fails. This option would be preferable compared to spawning a
+        # "ROUTE ADD" process.
+        '''
+        ROUTE_PROTOCOL_NETMGMT = 3
+        ROUTE_TYPE_INDIRECT = 4
+
+        conn = wmi.WMI(moniker='//./root/cimv2')
+
+        route = conn.Win32_IP4RouteTable.SpawnInstance_()
+        route.Destination = destination
+        route.Mask = mask
+        route.NextHop = next_hop
+        route.InterfaceIndex = interface_index
+        route.Metric1 = metric
+        route.Protocol = self.ROUTE_PROTOCOL_NETMGMT
+        route.Type = self.ROUTE_TYPE_INDIRECT
+        route.Put_()
+        '''
+
+    def get_os_version(self):
+        conn = wmi.WMI(moniker='//./root/cimv2')
+        return conn.Win32_OperatingSystem()[0].Version