diff --git a/examples/bin/run_ec2.sh b/examples/bin/run_ec2.sh
index c44703dfb98..6288fc712f2 100755
--- a/examples/bin/run_ec2.sh
+++ b/examples/bin/run_ec2.sh
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@
 # # Setup environment for ec2-api-tools
 # export EC2_HOME=/path/to/ec2-api-tools-1.6.7.4/
 # export PATH=$PATH:$EC2_HOME/bin
-
-export AWS_ACCESS_KEY=AKIAI42EC3TWOGWFXZHQ
-export AWS_SECRET_KEY=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
+# export AWS_ACCESS_KEY=
+# export AWS_SECRET_KEY=
 
 # Check for ec2 commands we require and die if they're missing
 type ec2-create-keypair >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo >&2 "I require ec2-create-keypair but it's not installed.  Aborting."; exit 1; }
@@ -24,15 +23,18 @@ chmod 0600 druid-keypair
 mv druid-keypair ~/.ssh/
 
 # Create a security group for our servers
+echo "Creating a new security group for druid..."
 ec2-create-group druid-group -d "Druid Cluster"
 
 # Create rules that allow necessary services in our group
+echo "Creating new firewall rules for druid..."
 # SSH from outside
 ec2-authorize druid-group -P tcp -p 22
 # Enable all traffic within group
 ec2-authorize druid-group -P tcp -p 1-65535 -o druid-group
 ec2-authorize druid-group -P udp -p 1-65535 -o druid-group
 
+echo "Booting a single small instance for druid..."
 # Use ami ami-e7582d8e - Alestic Ubuntu 12.04 us-east
 INSTANCE_ID=$(ec2-run-instances ami-e7582d8e -n 1 -g druid-group -k druid-keypair --instance-type m1.small| awk '/INSTANCE/{print $2}')
 while true; do
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ sleep 60
 
 # Get hostname and ssh with the key we created, and ssh there
 INSTANCE_ADDRESS=`ec2-describe-instances|grep 'INSTANCE'|grep $INSTANCE_ID|cut -f4`
-echo "Connecting to $INSTANCE_ADDRESS..."
+echo "Connecting to $INSTANCE_ADDRESS to prepare environment for druid..."
 ssh -i ~/.ssh/druid-keypair -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no ubuntu@${INSTANCE_ADDRESS} <<\EOI
   # Install dependencies - mysql and Java, and setup druid db
   export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
@@ -74,6 +76,15 @@ ssh -i ~/.ssh/druid-keypair -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no ubuntu@${INSTANCE_ADDRES
   echo debconf shared/accepted-oracle-license-v1-1 seen true | sudo debconf-set-selections
   sudo apt-get -y install oracle-java7-installer
   
+  # Automated Kafka setup
+  curl http://static.druid.io/artifacts/kafka-0.7.2-incubating-bin.tar.gz -o /tmp/kafka-0.7.2-incubating-bin.tar.gz
+  tar -xvzf /tmp/kafka-0.7.2-incubating-bin.tar.gz
+  cd kafka-0.7.2-incubating-bin
+  cat config/zookeeper.properties
+  nohup bin/zookeeper-server-start.sh config/zookeeper.properties &
+  # in a new console
+  nohup bin/kafka-server-start.sh config/server.properties &
+  
   # Logout
   exit
 EOI