diff --git a/install-reddit.sh b/install-reddit.sh
index 46e2097e0..52ffb0a7f 100755
--- a/install-reddit.sh
+++ b/install-reddit.sh
@@ -345,6 +345,7 @@ service haproxy restart
 ###############################################################################
 # Upstart Environment
 ###############################################################################
+CONSUMER_CONFIG_ROOT=$REDDIT_HOME/consumer-count.d
 cp $REDDIT_HOME/reddit/upstart/* /etc/init/
 
 if [ ! -f /etc/default/reddit ]; then
@@ -353,7 +354,7 @@ export REDDIT_ROOT=$REDDIT_HOME/reddit/r2
 export REDDIT_INI=$REDDIT_HOME/reddit/r2/run.ini
 export REDDIT_USER=$REDDIT_USER
 export REDDIT_GROUP=$REDDIT_GROUP
-export REDDIT_CONSUMER_CONFIG=$REDDIT_HOME/consumer-counts
+export REDDIT_CONSUMER_CONFIG=$CONSUMER_CONFIG_ROOT
 alias wrap-job=$REDDIT_HOME/reddit/scripts/wrap-job
 alias manage-consumers=$REDDIT_HOME/reddit/scripts/manage-consumers
 DEFAULT
@@ -362,17 +363,21 @@ fi
 ###############################################################################
 # Queue Processors
 ###############################################################################
-if [ ! -f $REDDIT_HOME/consumer-counts ]; then
-    cat > $REDDIT_HOME/consumer-counts <<COUNTS
-log_q           0
-cloudsearch_q   0
-scraper_q       0
-commentstree_q  1
-newcomments_q   1
-vote_comment_q  1
-vote_link_q     1
-COUNTS
-fi
+mkdir -p $CONSUMER_CONFIG_ROOT
+
+function set_consumer_count {
+    if [ ! -f $CONSUMER_CONFIG_ROOT/$1 ]; then
+        echo $2 > $CONSUMER_CONFIG_ROOT/$1
+    fi
+}
+
+set_consumer_count log_q 0
+set_consumer_count cloudsearch_q 0
+set_consumer_count scraper_q 0
+set_consumer_count commentstree_q 1
+set_consumer_count newcomments_q 1
+set_consumer_count vote_link_q 1
+set_consumer_count vote_comment_q 1
 
 initctl emit reddit-start
 
diff --git a/scripts/manage-consumers b/scripts/manage-consumers
index f149056e6..97e24040c 100755
--- a/scripts/manage-consumers
+++ b/scripts/manage-consumers
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 command=${UPSTART_JOB#reddit-consumers-}
-while read consumer instance_count; do
-    # blank lines in the file should be ignored
-    if [ -z "$consumer" ]; then
-        continue
-    fi
+for consumer in $REDDIT_CONSUMER_CONFIG/*; do
+    instance_count=$(cat $REDDIT_CONSUMER_CONFIG/$consumer)
 
     # allow targeting which consumer the event is meant for (defaulting to 'all')
     if [ ! -z "$TARGET" -a "x$TARGET" != "xall" -a "x$TARGET" != "x$consumer" ]; then
@@ -15,5 +12,5 @@ while read consumer instance_count; do
     for i in $(seq 1 "$instance_count"); do
         "/sbin/$command" "reddit-consumer-$consumer" "x=$i"
     done
-done < "$REDDIT_CONSUMER_CONFIG"
+done