diff --git a/lib/puppet/provider/service/windows.rb b/lib/puppet/provider/service/windows.rb
index d77f3b44a..f1485f268 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/provider/service/windows.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/provider/service/windows.rb
@@ -1,97 +1,110 @@
 # Windows Service Control Manager (SCM) provider
 
 require 'win32/service' if Puppet.features.microsoft_windows?
 
 Puppet::Type.type(:service).provide :windows do
 
   desc "Support for Windows Service Control Manager (SCM).
 
   Services are controlled according to win32-service gem.
 
   * All SCM operations (start/stop/enable/disable/query) are supported.
 
   * Control of service groups (dependencies) is not yet supported."
 
   defaultfor :operatingsystem => :windows
   confine :operatingsystem => :windows
 
   has_feature :refreshable
 
   def enable
     w32ss = Win32::Service.configure( 'service_name' => @resource[:name], 'start_type' => Win32::Service::SERVICE_AUTO_START )
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Win32 service enable of #{@resource[:name]} failed" ) if( w32ss.nil? )
   rescue Win32::Service::Error => detail
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Cannot enable #{@resource[:name]}, error was: #{detail}" )
   end
 
   def disable
     w32ss = Win32::Service.configure( 'service_name' => @resource[:name], 'start_type' => Win32::Service::SERVICE_DISABLED )
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Win32 service disable of #{@resource[:name]} failed" ) if( w32ss.nil? )
   rescue Win32::Service::Error => detail
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Cannot disable #{@resource[:name]}, error was: #{detail}" )
   end
 
   def manual_start
     w32ss = Win32::Service.configure( 'service_name' => @resource[:name], 'start_type' => Win32::Service::SERVICE_DEMAND_START )
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Win32 service manual enable of #{@resource[:name]} failed" ) if( w32ss.nil? )
   rescue Win32::Service::Error => detail
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Cannot enable #{@resource[:name]} for manual start, error was: #{detail}" )
   end
 
   def enabled?
     w32ss = Win32::Service.config_info( @resource[:name] )
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Win32 service query of #{@resource[:name]} failed" ) unless( !w32ss.nil? && w32ss.instance_of?( Struct::ServiceConfigInfo ) )
     debug("Service #{@resource[:name]} start type is #{w32ss.start_type}")
     case w32ss.start_type
       when Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_AUTO_START),
            Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_BOOT_START),
            Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_SYSTEM_START)
         :true
       when Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_DEMAND_START)
         :manual
       when Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_DISABLED)
         :false
       else
         raise Puppet::Error.new("Unknown start type: #{w32ss.start_type}")
     end
   rescue Win32::Service::Error => detail
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Cannot get start type for #{@resource[:name]}, error was: #{detail}" )
   end
 
   def start
+    if enabled? == :false
+      # If disabled and not managing enable, respect disabled and fail.
+      if @resource[:enable].nil?
+        raise Puppet::Error, "Will not start disabled service #{@resource[:name]} without managing enable. Specify 'enable => false' to override."
+      # Otherwise start. If enable => false, we will later sync enable and
+      # disable the service again.
+      elsif @resource[:enable] == :true
+        enable
+      else
+        manual_start
+      end
+    end
+
     Win32::Service.start( @resource[:name] )
   rescue Win32::Service::Error => detail
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Cannot start #{@resource[:name]}, error was: #{detail}" )
   end
 
   def stop
     Win32::Service.stop( @resource[:name] )
   rescue Win32::Service::Error => detail
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Cannot start #{@resource[:name]}, error was: #{detail}" )
   end
 
   def restart
     self.stop
     self.start
   end
 
   def status
     w32ss = Win32::Service.status( @resource[:name] )
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Win32 service query of #{@resource[:name]} failed" ) unless( !w32ss.nil? && w32ss.instance_of?( Struct::ServiceStatus ) )
     state = case w32ss.current_state
       when "stopped", "pause pending", "stop pending", "paused" then :stopped
       when "running", "continue pending", "start pending"       then :running
       else
         raise Puppet::Error.new("Unknown service state '#{w32ss.current_state}' for service '#{@resource[:name]}'")
     end
     debug("Service #{@resource[:name]} is #{w32ss.current_state}")
     return state
   rescue Win32::Service::Error => detail
     raise Puppet::Error.new("Cannot get status of #{@resource[:name]}, error was: #{detail}" )
   end
 
   # returns all providers for all existing services and startup state
   def self.instances
     Win32::Service.services.collect { |s| new(:name => s.service_name) }
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/provider/service/windows_spec.rb b/spec/unit/provider/service/windows_spec.rb
index 0667d4694..2012a184a 100755
--- a/spec/unit/provider/service/windows_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/provider/service/windows_spec.rb
@@ -1,104 +1,131 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env rspec
 #
 # Unit testing for the Windows service Provider
 #
 
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 require 'win32/service' if Puppet.features.microsoft_windows?
 
 describe Puppet::Type.type(:service).provider(:windows), :if => Puppet.features.microsoft_windows? do
 
   before :each do
     @resource = Puppet::Type.type(:service).new(:name => 'snmptrap', :provider => :windows)
 
     @config = Struct::ServiceConfigInfo.new
 
     @status = Struct::ServiceStatus.new
 
     Win32::Service.stubs(:config_info).with(@resource[:name]).returns(@config)
     Win32::Service.stubs(:status).with(@resource[:name]).returns(@status)
   end
 
   describe ".instances" do
     it "should enumerate all services" do
       list_of_services = ['snmptrap', 'svchost', 'sshd'].map { |s| stub('service', :service_name => s) }
       Win32::Service.expects(:services).returns(list_of_services)
 
       described_class.instances.map(&:name).should =~ ['snmptrap', 'svchost', 'sshd']
     end
   end
 
   describe "#start" do
     it "should call out to the Win32::Service API to start the service" do
       @config.start_type = Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_AUTO_START)
 
       Win32::Service.expects(:start).with('snmptrap')
 
       @resource.provider.start
     end
 
     it "should handle when Win32::Service.start raises a Win32::Service::Error" do
       @config.start_type = Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_AUTO_START)
 
       Win32::Service.expects(:start).with('snmptrap').raises(
         Win32::Service::Error.new("The service cannot be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.")
       )
 
       expect { @resource.provider.start }.to raise_error(
         Puppet::Error,
         /Cannot start snmptrap, error was: The service cannot be started, either/
       )
     end
+
+    describe "when the service is disabled" do
+      before :each do
+        @config.start_type = Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_DISABLED)
+        Win32::Service.stubs(:start).with(@resource[:name])
+      end
+
+      it "should refuse to start if not managing enable" do
+        expect { @resource.provider.start }.to raise_error(Puppet::Error, /Will not start disabled service/)
+      end
+
+      it "should enable if managing enable and enable is true" do
+        @resource[:enable] = :true
+
+        Win32::Service.expects(:configure).with('service_name' => @resource[:name], 'start_type' => Win32::Service::SERVICE_AUTO_START).returns(Win32::Service)
+
+        @resource.provider.start
+      end
+
+      it "should manual start if managing enable and enable is false" do
+        @resource[:enable] = :false
+
+        Win32::Service.expects(:configure).with('service_name' => @resource[:name], 'start_type' => Win32::Service::SERVICE_DEMAND_START).returns(Win32::Service)
+
+        @resource.provider.start
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe "#stop" do
     it "should stop a running service"
     it "should not try to stop an already stopped service"
   end
 
   describe "#status" do
     ['stopped', 'paused', 'stop pending', 'pause pending'].each do |state|
       it "should report a #{state} service as stopped" do
         @status.current_state = state
 
         @resource.provider.status.should == :stopped
       end
     end
 
     ["running", "continue pending", "start pending" ].each do |state|
       it "should report a #{state} service as running" do
         @status.current_state = state
 
         @resource.provider.status.should == :running
       end
     end
   end
 
   describe "#enabled?" do
     it "should report a service with a startup type of manual as manual" do
       @config.start_type = Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_DEMAND_START)
 
       @resource.provider.enabled?.should == :manual
     end
 
     it "should report a service with a startup type of disabled as false" do
       @config.start_type = Win32::Service.get_start_type(Win32::Service::SERVICE_DISABLED)
 
       @resource.provider.enabled?.should == :false
     end
 
     # We need to guard this section explicitly since rspec will always
     # construct all examples, even if it isn't going to run them.
     if Puppet.features.microsoft_windows?
       [Win32::Service::SERVICE_AUTO_START, Win32::Service::SERVICE_BOOT_START, Win32::Service::SERVICE_SYSTEM_START].each do |start_type_const|
         start_type = Win32::Service.get_start_type(start_type_const)
         it "should report a service with a startup type of '#{start_type}' as true" do
           @config.start_type = start_type
 
           @resource.provider.enabled?.should == :true
         end
       end
     end
   end
 end