diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e339df6..d7c3edc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ Recipes
 ### default
 Installs the NRPE client via packages or source depending on platform and attributes set
 
+### configure
+Configures the NRPE client. This will be called internally by the `default` recipe but can also be used to re-configure later on.
+
 Attributes
 ----------
 
diff --git a/recipes/configure.rb b/recipes/configure.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9fcc8c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes/configure.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+#
+# Author:: Joshua Sierles <joshua@37signals.com>
+# Author:: Joshua Timberman <joshua@getchef.com>
+# Author:: Nathan Haneysmith <nathan@getchef.com>
+# Author:: Seth Chisamore <schisamo@getchef.com>
+# Cookbook Name:: nrpe
+# Recipe:: default
+#
+# Copyright 2009, 37signals
+# Copyright 2009-2013, Chef Software, Inc.
+# Copyright 2012, Webtrends, Inc.
+# Copyright 2013-2014, Limelight Networks, Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+# determine hosts that NRPE will allow monitoring from. Start with localhost
+mon_host = ['127.0.0.1']
+
+# search for nagios servers and add them to the mon_host array as well
+if node['nrpe']['multi_environment_monitoring']
+  search(:node, "roles:#{node['nrpe']['server_role']}") do |n|
+    mon_host << n['ipaddress']
+  end
+elsif !Chef::Config[:solo] || node['nrpe']['using_solo_search']
+  search(:node, "roles:#{node['nrpe']['server_role']} AND chef_environment:#{node.chef_environment}") do |n|
+    mon_host << n['ipaddress']
+  end
+end
+
+# the first run on a nagios server wont find itself via search so if we're the nagios server, go
+# ahead and put our own IP address in the NRPE config (unless it's already there).
+if node.run_list.roles.include?(node['nrpe']['server_role'])
+  mon_host << node['ipaddress'] unless mon_host.include?(node['ipaddress'])
+end
+
+# add any extra nagios servers defined via the 'allowed_hosts attribute'
+mon_host.concat node['nrpe']['allowed_hosts'] if node['nrpe']['allowed_hosts']
+
+include_dir = "#{node['nrpe']['conf_dir']}/nrpe.d"
+
+directory include_dir do
+  owner 'root'
+  group node['nrpe']['group']
+  mode '0750'
+end
+
+template "#{node['nrpe']['conf_dir']}/nrpe.cfg" do
+  source 'nrpe.cfg.erb'
+  owner 'root'
+  group node['nrpe']['group']
+  mode '0640'
+  variables(
+    :mon_host => mon_host.uniq.sort,
+    :nrpe_directory => include_dir
+  )
+  notifies :restart, "service[#{node['nrpe']['service_name']}]"
+end
+
+service node['nrpe']['service_name'] do
+  action [:start, :enable]
+  supports :restart => true, :reload => true, :status => true
+end
+
+# The updating of the list of checks.
+ruby_block 'updating of the list of checks' do
+  block do
+    checks = run_context.resource_collection.select { |r| r.is_a?(Chef::Resource::NrpeCheck) && r.action == [:add] }.map(&:command_name)
+    node.set['nrpe']['checks'] = checks
+  end
+end
diff --git a/recipes/default.rb b/recipes/default.rb
index 4f48fbf..9ec5d3c 100644
--- a/recipes/default.rb
+++ b/recipes/default.rb
@@ -28,58 +28,5 @@
 # install the nrpe daemon and plugins using the appropriate recipe(s)
 include_recipe "nrpe::_#{node['nrpe']['install_method']}_install"
 
-# determine hosts that NRPE will allow monitoring from. Start with localhost
-mon_host = ['127.0.0.1']
-
-# search for nagios servers and add them to the mon_host array as well
-if node['nrpe']['multi_environment_monitoring']
-  search(:node, "roles:#{node['nrpe']['server_role']}") do |n|
-    mon_host << n['ipaddress']
-  end
-elsif !Chef::Config[:solo] || node['nrpe']['using_solo_search']
-  search(:node, "roles:#{node['nrpe']['server_role']} AND chef_environment:#{node.chef_environment}") do |n|
-    mon_host << n['ipaddress']
-  end
-end
-
-# the first run on a nagios server wont find itself via search so if we're the nagios server, go
-# ahead and put our own IP address in the NRPE config (unless it's already there).
-if node.run_list.roles.include?(node['nrpe']['server_role'])
-  mon_host << node['ipaddress'] unless mon_host.include?(node['ipaddress'])
-end
-
-# add any extra nagios servers defined via the 'allowed_hosts attribute'
-mon_host.concat node['nrpe']['allowed_hosts'] if node['nrpe']['allowed_hosts']
-
-include_dir = "#{node['nrpe']['conf_dir']}/nrpe.d"
-
-directory include_dir do
-  owner 'root'
-  group node['nrpe']['group']
-  mode '0750'
-end
-
-template "#{node['nrpe']['conf_dir']}/nrpe.cfg" do
-  source 'nrpe.cfg.erb'
-  owner 'root'
-  group node['nrpe']['group']
-  mode '0640'
-  variables(
-    :mon_host => mon_host.uniq.sort,
-    :nrpe_directory => include_dir
-  )
-  notifies :restart, "service[#{node['nrpe']['service_name']}]"
-end
-
-service node['nrpe']['service_name'] do
-  action [:start, :enable]
-  supports :restart => true, :reload => true, :status => true
-end
-
-# The updating of the list of checks.
-ruby_block 'updating of the list of checks' do
-  block do
-    checks = run_context.resource_collection.select { |r| r.is_a?(Chef::Resource::NrpeCheck) && r.action == [:add] }.map(&:command_name)
-    node.set['nrpe']['checks'] = checks
-  end
-end
+# configure the nrpe daemon
+include_recipe 'nrpe::configure'