diff --git a/lib/ceilometer b/lib/ceilometer
index 54d95c5e43..7bd1421118 100644
--- a/lib/ceilometer
+++ b/lib/ceilometer
@@ -223,16 +223,19 @@ function install_ceilometerclient {
 
 # start_ceilometer() - Start running processes, including screen
 function start_ceilometer {
+    screen_it ceilometer-acentral "cd ; ceilometer-agent-central --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF"
+    screen_it ceilometer-anotification "cd ; ceilometer-agent-notification --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF"
+    screen_it ceilometer-collector "cd ; ceilometer-collector --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF"
+    screen_it ceilometer-api "cd ; ceilometer-api -d -v --log-dir=$CEILOMETER_API_LOG_DIR --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF"
+
+    # Start the compute agent last to allow time for the collector to
+    # fully wake up and connect to the message bus. See bug #1355809
     if [[ "$VIRT_DRIVER" = 'libvirt' ]]; then
         screen_it ceilometer-acompute "cd ; sg $LIBVIRT_GROUP 'ceilometer-agent-compute --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF'"
     fi
     if [[ "$VIRT_DRIVER" = 'vsphere' ]]; then
         screen_it ceilometer-acompute "cd ; ceilometer-agent-compute --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF"
     fi
-    screen_it ceilometer-acentral "cd ; ceilometer-agent-central --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF"
-    screen_it ceilometer-anotification "cd ; ceilometer-agent-notification --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF"
-    screen_it ceilometer-collector "cd ; ceilometer-collector --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF"
-    screen_it ceilometer-api "cd ; ceilometer-api -d -v --log-dir=$CEILOMETER_API_LOG_DIR --config-file $CEILOMETER_CONF"
 
     # only die on API if it was actually intended to be turned on
     if is_service_enabled ceilometer-api; then