diff --git a/apis/s3/src/test/java/org/jclouds/s3/blobstore/S3BlobRequestSignerTest.java b/apis/s3/src/test/java/org/jclouds/s3/blobstore/S3BlobRequestSignerTest.java
index 046836d6ee..112fa4f3c4 100644
--- a/apis/s3/src/test/java/org/jclouds/s3/blobstore/S3BlobRequestSignerTest.java
+++ b/apis/s3/src/test/java/org/jclouds/s3/blobstore/S3BlobRequestSignerTest.java
@@ -23,13 +23,14 @@ import static org.testng.Assert.assertEquals;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
+import javax.inject.Provider;
+
 import org.jclouds.blobstore.BlobRequestSigner;
 import org.jclouds.blobstore.domain.Blob;
-import org.jclouds.blobstore.domain.Blob.Factory;
+import org.jclouds.blobstore.domain.BlobBuilder;
 import org.jclouds.date.TimeStamp;
 import org.jclouds.http.HttpRequest;
 import org.jclouds.http.RequiresHttp;
-import org.jclouds.io.payloads.PhantomPayload;
 import org.jclouds.rest.ConfiguresRestClient;
 import org.jclouds.rest.internal.RestAnnotationProcessor;
 import org.jclouds.s3.BaseS3AsyncClientTest;
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ public class S3BlobRequestSignerTest extends BaseS3AsyncClientTest<S3AsyncClient
    }
 
    private BlobRequestSigner signer;
-   private Factory blobFactory;
+   private Provider<BlobBuilder> blobFactory;
 
    public void testSignGetBlob() throws ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException, SecurityException, IllegalArgumentException,
             NoSuchMethodException, IOException {
@@ -89,12 +90,8 @@ public class S3BlobRequestSignerTest extends BaseS3AsyncClientTest<S3AsyncClient
 
    public void testSignPutBlob() throws ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException, SecurityException, IllegalArgumentException,
             NoSuchMethodException, IOException {
-      Blob blob = blobFactory.create(null);
-      blob.getMetadata().setName("name");
-      blob.setPayload(new PhantomPayload());
-      blob.getPayload().getContentMetadata().setContentLength(2l);
-      blob.getPayload().getContentMetadata().setContentMD5(new byte[] { 0, 2, 4, 8 });
-      blob.getPayload().getContentMetadata().setContentType("text/plain");
+      Blob blob = blobFactory.get().name("name").forSigning().contentLength(2l).contentMD5(new byte[] { 0, 2, 4, 8 }).contentType(
+               "text/plain").build();
 
       HttpRequest request = signer.signPutBlob("container", blob);
 
@@ -111,7 +108,7 @@ public class S3BlobRequestSignerTest extends BaseS3AsyncClientTest<S3AsyncClient
    @BeforeClass
    protected void setupFactory() throws IOException {
       super.setupFactory();
-      this.blobFactory = injector.getInstance(Blob.Factory.class);
+      this.blobFactory = injector.getProvider(BlobBuilder.class);
       this.signer = injector.getInstance(BlobRequestSigner.class);
    }
 
diff --git a/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/BlobRequestSigner.java b/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/BlobRequestSigner.java
index d0c65a0424..655d15c38c 100644
--- a/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/BlobRequestSigner.java
+++ b/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/BlobRequestSigner.java
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
 package org.jclouds.blobstore;
 
 import org.jclouds.blobstore.domain.Blob;
+import org.jclouds.blobstore.domain.BlobBuilder;
 import org.jclouds.blobstore.internal.RequestSigningUnsupported;
 import org.jclouds.http.HttpRequest;
-import org.jclouds.io.payloads.PhantomPayload;
 
 import com.google.inject.ImplementedBy;
 
@@ -65,10 +65,8 @@ public interface BlobRequestSigner {
     * client.
     * 
     * <pre>
-    * Blob blob = context.getBlobStore.newBlob();
-    * blob.getMetadata().setName(&quot;name&quot;);
-    * blob.setPayload(new PhantomPayload(length, md5));
-    * blob.getPayload().setContentType(&quot;text/plain&quot;);
+    * Blob blob = context.getBlobStore.blobBuilder().name(&quot;name&quot;).forSigning().contentType(&quot;text/plain&quot;)
+    *          .contentLength(length).build();
     * </pre>
     * 
     * @param container
@@ -77,7 +75,7 @@ public interface BlobRequestSigner {
     *           what to upload
     * @throws UnsupportedOperationException
     *            if not supported by the provider
-    * @see PhantomPayload
+    * @see BlobBuilder#forSigning
     */
    HttpRequest signPutBlob(String container, Blob blob);
 }
diff --git a/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/domain/BlobBuilder.java b/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/domain/BlobBuilder.java
index bb39a2c767..96aa495255 100644
--- a/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/domain/BlobBuilder.java
+++ b/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/domain/BlobBuilder.java
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ public interface BlobBuilder {
     */
    PayloadBlobBuilder payload(InputStream payload);
 
+   /**
+    * If you are creating a blob only for signing, use this. {@see BlobRequestSigner}
+    */
+   PayloadBlobBuilder forSigning();
+
    /**
     * 
     * @param payload
diff --git a/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/domain/internal/BlobBuilderImpl.java b/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/domain/internal/BlobBuilderImpl.java
index db4b0a0b26..a43a069fd2 100644
--- a/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/domain/internal/BlobBuilderImpl.java
+++ b/blobstore/src/main/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/domain/internal/BlobBuilderImpl.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import org.jclouds.blobstore.domain.StorageType;
 import org.jclouds.crypto.Crypto;
 import org.jclouds.io.Payload;
 import org.jclouds.io.Payloads;
+import org.jclouds.io.payloads.PhantomPayload;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Throwables;
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
@@ -225,5 +226,15 @@ public class BlobBuilderImpl implements BlobBuilder {
          return this;
       }
 
+      @Override
+      public PayloadBlobBuilder forSigning() {
+         return builder.forSigning();
+      }
+
+   }
+
+   @Override
+   public PayloadBlobBuilder forSigning() {
+      return payload(new PhantomPayload());
    }
 }
diff --git a/blobstore/src/test/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/TransientBlobRequestSignerTest.java b/blobstore/src/test/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/TransientBlobRequestSignerTest.java
index 3c6df510f9..690bd6639f 100644
--- a/blobstore/src/test/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/TransientBlobRequestSignerTest.java
+++ b/blobstore/src/test/java/org/jclouds/blobstore/TransientBlobRequestSignerTest.java
@@ -24,10 +24,11 @@ import static org.testng.Assert.assertEquals;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
+import javax.inject.Provider;
+
 import org.jclouds.blobstore.domain.Blob;
-import org.jclouds.blobstore.domain.Blob.Factory;
+import org.jclouds.blobstore.domain.BlobBuilder;
 import org.jclouds.http.HttpRequest;
-import org.jclouds.io.payloads.PhantomPayload;
 import org.jclouds.rest.RestClientTest;
 import org.jclouds.rest.RestContextFactory;
 import org.jclouds.rest.RestContextSpec;
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ import com.google.inject.TypeLiteral;
 public class TransientBlobRequestSignerTest extends RestClientTest<TransientAsyncBlobStore> {
 
    private BlobRequestSigner signer;
-   private Factory blobFactory;
+   private Provider<BlobBuilder> blobFactory;
 
    public void testSignGetBlob() throws ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException, SecurityException, IllegalArgumentException,
             NoSuchMethodException, IOException {
@@ -73,12 +74,8 @@ public class TransientBlobRequestSignerTest extends RestClientTest<TransientAsyn
 
    public void testSignPutBlob() throws ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException, SecurityException, IllegalArgumentException,
             NoSuchMethodException, IOException {
-      Blob blob = blobFactory.create(null);
-      blob.getMetadata().setName("name");
-      blob.setPayload(new PhantomPayload());
-      blob.getPayload().getContentMetadata().setContentLength(2l);
-      blob.getPayload().getContentMetadata().setContentMD5(new byte[] { 0, 2, 4, 8 });
-      blob.getPayload().getContentMetadata().setContentType("text/plain");
+      Blob blob = blobFactory.get().name("name").forSigning().contentLength(2l).contentMD5(new byte[] { 0, 2, 4, 8 })
+               .contentType("text/plain").build();
 
       HttpRequest request = signer.signPutBlob("container", blob);
 
@@ -94,7 +91,7 @@ public class TransientBlobRequestSignerTest extends RestClientTest<TransientAsyn
    @BeforeClass
    protected void setupFactory() throws IOException {
       super.setupFactory();
-      this.blobFactory = injector.getInstance(Blob.Factory.class);
+      this.blobFactory = injector.getProvider(BlobBuilder.class);
       this.signer = injector.getInstance(BlobRequestSigner.class);
    }