diff --git a/functions b/functions
index df8166a0e2..d14c973715 100644
--- a/functions
+++ b/functions
@@ -1256,7 +1256,25 @@ function upload_image() {
     if [[ "$image_url" =~ '.vmdk' ]]; then
         IMAGE="$FILES/${IMAGE_FNAME}"
         IMAGE_NAME="${IMAGE_FNAME%.vmdk}"
-        glance --os-auth-token $token --os-image-url http://$GLANCE_HOSTPORT image-create --name "$IMAGE_NAME" --is-public=True --container-format bare --disk-format vmdk --property vmware-disktype="preallocated" < "${IMAGE}"
+
+        # Before we can upload vmdk type images to glance, we need to know it's
+        # disk type, storage adapter, and networking adapter. These values are
+        # passed to glance as custom properties. We take these values from the
+        # vmdk filename, which is expected in the following format:
+        #
+        #     <name>-<disk type>:<storage adapter>:<network adapter>
+        #
+        # If the filename does not follow the above format then the vsphere
+        # driver will supply default values.
+        property_string=`echo "$IMAGE_NAME" | grep -oP '(?<=-)(?!.*-).+:.+:.+$'`
+        if [[ ! -z "$property_string" ]]; then
+            IFS=':' read -a props <<< "$property_string"
+            vmdk_disktype="${props[0]}"
+            vmdk_adapter_type="${props[1]}"
+            vmdk_net_adapter="${props[2]}"
+        fi
+
+        glance --os-auth-token $token --os-image-url http://$GLANCE_HOSTPORT image-create --name "$IMAGE_NAME" --is-public=True --container-format bare --disk-format vmdk --property vmware-disktype="$vmdk_disktype" --property vmware_adaptertype="$vmdk_adapter_type" --property hw_vif_model="$vmdk_net_adapter" < "${IMAGE}"
         return
     fi