diff --git a/zuul/launcher/ansiblelaunchserver.py b/zuul/launcher/ansiblelaunchserver.py
index 61ef88e..232bd0c 100644
--- a/zuul/launcher/ansiblelaunchserver.py
+++ b/zuul/launcher/ansiblelaunchserver.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import subprocess
 import tempfile
 import threading
+import time
 import traceback
 import uuid
 
@@ -36,6 +37,12 @@
 import zuul.ansible.plugins.callback_plugins
 
 
+def boolify(x):
+    if isinstance(x, str):
+        return bool(int(x))
+    return bool(x)
+
+
 class JobDir(object):
     def __init__(self, keep=False):
         self.keep = keep
@@ -63,7 +70,8 @@
 
 class LaunchServer(object):
     log = logging.getLogger("zuul.LaunchServer")
-    section_re = re.compile('site "(.*?)"')
+    site_section_re = re.compile('site "(.*?)"')
+    node_section_re = re.compile('node "(.*?)"')
 
     def __init__(self, config, keep_jobdir=False):
         self.config = config
@@ -76,17 +84,45 @@
         self.zmq_send_queue = multiprocessing.JoinableQueue()
         self.termination_queue = multiprocessing.JoinableQueue()
         self.sites = {}
+        self.static_nodes = {}
+        if config.has_option('launcher', 'accept-nodes'):
+            self.accept_nodes = config.get('launcher', 'accept-nodes')
+        else:
+            self.accept_nodes = True
 
         for section in config.sections():
-            m = self.section_re.match(section)
+            m = self.site_section_re.match(section)
             if m:
                 sitename = m.group(1)
                 d = {}
                 d['host'] = config.get(section, 'host')
                 d['user'] = config.get(section, 'user')
-                d['pass'] = config.get(section, 'pass', '')
-                d['root'] = config.get(section, 'root', '/')
+                if config.has_option(section, 'pass'):
+                    d['pass'] = config.get(section, 'pass')
+                else:
+                    d['pass'] = ''
+                if config.has_option(section, 'root'):
+                    d['root'] = config.get(section, 'root')
+                else:
+                    d['root'] = '/'
                 self.sites[sitename] = d
+                continue
+            m = self.node_section_re.match(section)
+            if m:
+                nodename = m.group(1)
+                d = {}
+                d['name'] = nodename
+                d['host'] = config.get(section, 'host')
+                if config.has_option(section, 'description'):
+                    d['description'] = config.get(section, 'description')
+                else:
+                    d['description'] = ''
+                if config.has_option(section, 'labels'):
+                    d['labels'] = config.get(section, 'labels').split(',')
+                else:
+                    d['labels'] = []
+                self.static_nodes[nodename] = d
+                continue
 
     def start(self):
         self._gearman_running = True
@@ -132,6 +168,16 @@
         self.gearman_thread.daemon = True
         self.gearman_thread.start()
 
+        # FIXME: Without this, sometimes the subprocess module does
+        # not actually launch any subprocesses.  I have no
+        # explanation.  -corvus
+        time.sleep(1)
+
+        # Start static workers
+        for node in self.static_nodes.values():
+            self.log.debug("Creating static node with arguments: %s" % (node,))
+            self._launchWorker(node)
+
     def loadJobs(self):
         self.log.debug("Loading jobs")
         builder = JJB()
@@ -147,7 +193,8 @@
             del self.jobs[name]
 
     def register(self):
-        self.worker.registerFunction("node-assign:zuul")
+        if self.accept_nodes:
+            self.worker.registerFunction("node-assign:zuul")
         self.worker.registerFunction("stop:%s" % self.hostname)
 
     def reconfigure(self, config):
@@ -220,6 +267,12 @@
     def assignNode(self, job):
         args = json.loads(job.arguments)
         self.log.debug("Assigned node with arguments: %s" % (args,))
+        self._launchWorker(args)
+        data = dict(manager=self.hostname)
+        job.sendWorkData(json.dumps(data))
+        job.sendWorkComplete()
+
+    def _launchWorker(self, args):
         worker = NodeWorker(self.config, self.jobs, self.builds,
                             self.sites, args['name'], args['host'],
                             args['description'], args['labels'],
@@ -230,10 +283,6 @@
         worker.process = multiprocessing.Process(target=worker.run)
         worker.process.start()
 
-        data = dict(manager=self.hostname)
-        job.sendWorkData(json.dumps(data))
-        job.sendWorkComplete()
-
     def stopJob(self, job):
         try:
             args = json.loads(job.arguments)
@@ -458,9 +507,7 @@
 
         # Make sure we can parse what we need from the job first
         args = json.loads(job.arguments)
-        # This may be configurable later, or we may choose to honor
-        # OFFLINE_NODE_WHEN_COMPLETE
-        offline = True
+        offline = boolify(args.get('OFFLINE_NODE_WHEN_COMPLETE', False))
         job_name = job.name.split(':')[1]
 
         # Initialize the result so we have something regardless of