diff --git a/chef/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/ruby.rb b/chef/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/ruby.rb
index 4188ba7..9f0d9ad 100644
--- a/chef/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/ruby.rb
+++ b/chef/cookbooks/mysql/recipes/ruby.rb
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ node['mysql']['client']['packages'].each do |name|
   resources("package[#{name}]").run_action(:install)
 end
 
-if node['local_repo'].nil? or node['local_repo'] == ""
+if node['local_repo'].nil? or node['local_repo'].empty?
   chef_gem 'mysql'
 else
   gem_package 'mysql' do
diff --git a/chef/cookbooks/openstack-compute/recipes/compute-config-ceph.rb b/chef/cookbooks/openstack-compute/recipes/compute-config-ceph.rb
index 0ce93fd..83e240c 100644
--- a/chef/cookbooks/openstack-compute/recipes/compute-config-ceph.rb
+++ b/chef/cookbooks/openstack-compute/recipes/compute-config-ceph.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ if node['openstack']['block-storage']['volume']['driver'] == 'cinder.volume.driv
     end
   end
 
+  unless node['local_repo'].nil? or node['local_repo'].empty?
+    node.override['ceph']['rhel']['extras']['repository'] = "#{node['local_repo']}/compass_repo"
+
   execute "rpm -Uvh --force #{node['ceph']['rhel']['extras']['repository']}/qemu-kvm-0.12.1.2-2.415.el6.3ceph.x86_64.rpm #{node['ceph']['rhel']['extras']['repository']}/qemu-img-0.12.1.2-2.415.el6.3ceph.x86_64.rpm" do
     not_if "rpm -qa | grep qemu | grep ceph"
   end
diff --git a/chef/cookbooks/openstack-image/recipes/image_upload.rb b/chef/cookbooks/openstack-image/recipes/image_upload.rb
index d6ad807..f816e78 100644
--- a/chef/cookbooks/openstack-image/recipes/image_upload.rb
+++ b/chef/cookbooks/openstack-image/recipes/image_upload.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ if node['openstack']['image']['syslog']['use']
   include_recipe 'openstack-common::logging'
 end
 
-unless node['local_repo'].nil? or node['local_repo'] == ""
+unless node['local_repo'].nil? or node['local_repo'].empty?
   node.override['openstack']['image']['upload_image']['cirros'] = "#{node['local_repo']}/cirros-0.3.2-x86_64-disk.img"
 end
 
diff --git a/chef/cookbooks/yum/providers/repository.rb b/chef/cookbooks/yum/providers/repository.rb
index 7e6dbaa..4fbc232 100644
--- a/chef/cookbooks/yum/providers/repository.rb
+++ b/chef/cookbooks/yum/providers/repository.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def whyrun_supported?
 end
 
 action :create  do
-  if node['local_repo'].nil? or node['local_repo'] == ""
+  if node['local_repo'].nil? or node['local_repo'].empty?
     # Hack around the lack of "use_inline_resources" before Chef 11 by
     # uniquely naming the execute[yum-makecache] resources. Set the
     # notifies timing to :immediately for the same reasons. Remove both