diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7af44ae..31dece8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ Cookbooks
 ---------
 
 * build-essential
+* yum
+
+NOTE: The `yum` cookbook is a dependency of the cookbook, and will be used to install [EPEL](http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL) on RedHet/CentOS 5.x systems to provide the Python 2.6 packages.
 
 Attributes
 ==========
diff --git a/attributes/default.rb b/attributes/default.rb
index e0a9e96..794d873 100644
--- a/attributes/default.rb
+++ b/attributes/default.rb
@@ -21,9 +21,18 @@
 default['python']['install_method'] = 'package'
 
 if python['install_method'] == 'package'
-  default['python']['prefix_dir'] = '/usr'
+  default['python']['prefix_dir']         = '/usr'
 else
-  default['python']['prefix_dir'] = '/usr/local'
+  default['python']['prefix_dir']         = '/usr/local'
+end
+
+case platform
+when "redhat","centos","scientific","fedora","suse","amazon"
+  set['python']['pip']['prefix_dir']  = '/usr'
+when "debian","ubuntu"
+  set['python']['pip']['prefix_dir']  = '/usr/local'
+else
+  set['python']['pip']['prefix_dir']  = '/usr/local'
 end
 
 default['python']['url'] = 'http://www.python.org/ftp/python'
@@ -31,4 +40,3 @@
 default['python']['checksum'] = '80e387bcf57eae8ce26726753584fd63e060ec11682d1145af921e85fd612292'
 default['python']['configure_options'] = %W{--prefix=#{python['prefix_dir']}}
 
-default['python']['pip']['prefix_dir'] = '/usr/local'
diff --git a/metadata.rb b/metadata.rb
index f57f356..2071ec4 100644
--- a/metadata.rb
+++ b/metadata.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 version           "1.0.6"
 
 depends           "build-essential"
+depends           "yum"
 
 recipe "python", "Installs python, pip, and virtualenv"
 recipe "python::package", "Installs python using packages."
diff --git a/recipes/package.rb b/recipes/package.rb
index 5a44da3..95dcce0 100644
--- a/recipes/package.rb
+++ b/recipes/package.rb
@@ -18,22 +18,41 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 #
 
-python_pkgs = value_for_platform(
-  ["debian","ubuntu"] => {
-    "default" => ["python","python-dev"]
-  },
-  ["centos","redhat","fedora"] => {
-    "default" => ["python26","python26-devel"]
-  },
-  ["freebsd"] => {
-    "default" => ["python"]
-  },
-  "default" => ["python","python-dev"]
-)
+# COOK-1016 Handle RHEL/CentOS namings of python packages, by installing EPEL repo & package
+# This implementation was determined a stopgap measure until CHEF-2410 is implemented and widespread.
+if node['platform'] == 'centos' || node['platform'] == 'redhat'
+  major_version = node['platform_version'].split('.').first.to_i
+  if major_version == 5
+    include_recipe 'yum::epel'
+  else
+    # Do nothing.
+  end
+end
+
+python_pkgs = if node['platform'] == 'centos' || node['platform'] == 'redhat'
+                major_version = node['platform_version'].split('.').first.to_i
+                if major_version == 6
+                  ["python", "python-devel"]
+                else
+                  ["python26", "python26-devel"]
+                end
+              else
+                value_for_platform(
+                                   ["debian","ubuntu"] => {
+                                     "default" => ["python","python-dev"]
+                                   },
+                                   ["fedora","amazon"] => {
+                                     "default" => ["python","python-devel"]
+                                   },
+                                   ["freebsd"] => {
+                                     "default" => ["python"]
+                                   },
+                                   "default" => ["python","python-dev"]
+                                   )
+              end
 
 python_pkgs.each do |pkg|
   package pkg do
     action :install
   end
 end
-