diff --git a/lib/horizon b/lib/horizon
index 05bf6d3915..3d8b3e6d1f 100644
--- a/lib/horizon
+++ b/lib/horizon
@@ -61,16 +61,47 @@ function _horizon_config_set() {
     fi
 }
 
+# Basic install of upstream nodejs for platforms that want it
+function install_nodejs() {
+    if [[ $(which node) ]]; then
+        echo "You already appear to have nodejs, skipping install"
+        return
+    fi
+
+    # There are several node deployment scripts; one may be more
+    # appropriate at some future point, but for now direct download is
+    # the simplest way.  The version barely matters for lesscss which
+    # doesn't use anything fancy.
+    local ver=0.10.1
+    local nodejs=node-v${ver}-linux-x64
+    local tar=$nodejs.tar.gz
+    local nodejs_url=http://nodejs.org/dist/v${ver}/${tar}
+
+    curl -Ss ${nodejs_url} | tar -C ${DEST} -xz
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        echo "*** Download of nodejs failed"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    # /usr/bin so it gets found in the PATH available to horizon
+    sudo ln -s $DEST/$nodejs/bin/node /usr/bin/node
+}
+
 # Entry Points
 # ------------
 
 # cleanup_horizon() - Remove residual data files, anything left over from previous
 # runs that a clean run would need to clean up
 function cleanup_horizon() {
-    # kill instances (nova)
-    # delete image files (glance)
-    # This function intentionally left blank
-    :
+
+    if [[ is_fedora && $DISTRO =~ (rhel6) ]]; then
+    # if the /usr/bin/node link looks like it's pointing into $DEST,
+    # then we installed it via install_nodejs
+        if [[ $(readlink -f /usr/bin/node) =~ ($DEST) ]]; then
+            sudo rm /usr/bin/node
+        fi
+    fi
+
 }
 
 # configure_horizon() - Set config files, create data dirs, etc
@@ -159,6 +190,14 @@ function install_horizon() {
         exit_distro_not_supported "apache installation"
     fi
 
+    if [[ is_fedora && $DISTRO =~ (rhel6) ]]; then
+        # RHEL6 currently has no native way to get nodejs, so we do a
+        # basic install here (see cleanup_horizon too).
+        # TODO: does nova have a better way that we can limit
+        # requirement of site-wide nodejs install?
+        install_nodejs
+    fi
+
     # NOTE(sdague) quantal changed the name of the node binary
     if is_ubuntu; then
         if [[ ! -e "/usr/bin/node" ]]; then