diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/keypairs.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/keypairs.py
index 3911c06e2a..cbecdf674d 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/keypairs.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/contrib/keypairs.py
@@ -107,7 +107,16 @@ class KeypairController(object):
         authorize(context, action='show')
 
         try:
+            # Since this method returns the whole object, functional test
+            # test_keypairs_get is failing, receiving an unexpected field
+            # 'type', which was added to the keypair object.
+            # TODO(claudiub): Revert the changes in the next commit, which will
+            # enable nova-api to return the keypair type.
             keypair = self.api.get_key_pair(context, context.user_id, id)
+            keypair = self._filter_keypair(keypair, created_at=True,
+                                           deleted=True, deleted_at=True,
+                                           id=True, user_id=True,
+                                           updated_at=True)
         except exception.KeypairNotFound as exc:
             raise webob.exc.HTTPNotFound(explanation=exc.format_message())
         return {'keypair': keypair}
diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/keypairs.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/keypairs.py
index ce3eb3027d..9f96358310 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/keypairs.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/plugins/v3/keypairs.py
@@ -115,7 +115,16 @@ class KeypairController(wsgi.Controller):
         authorize(context, action='show')
 
         try:
+            # Since this method returns the whole object, functional test
+            # test_keypairs_get is failing, receiving an unexpected field
+            # 'type', which was added to the keypair object.
+            # TODO(claudiub): Revert the changes in the next commit, which will
+            # enable nova-api to return the keypair type.
             keypair = self.api.get_key_pair(context, context.user_id, id)
+            keypair = self._filter_keypair(keypair, created_at=True,
+                                           deleted=True, deleted_at=True,
+                                           id=True, user_id=True,
+                                           updated_at=True)
         except exception.KeypairNotFound as exc:
             raise webob.exc.HTTPNotFound(explanation=exc.format_message())
         # TODO(oomichi): It is necessary to filter a response of keypair with
diff --git a/nova/compute/api.py b/nova/compute/api.py
index 72cd42119b..91de525208 100644
--- a/nova/compute/api.py
+++ b/nova/compute/api.py
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ from nova.network.security_group import security_group_base
 from nova import notifications
 from nova import objects
 from nova.objects import base as obj_base
+from nova.objects import keypair as keypair_obj
 from nova.objects import quotas as quotas_obj
 from nova.objects import security_group as security_group_obj
 from nova.openstack.common import log as logging
@@ -3734,6 +3735,7 @@ class KeypairAPI(base.Base):
         keypair = objects.KeyPair(context)
         keypair.user_id = user_id
         keypair.name = key_name
+        keypair.type = keypair_obj.KEYPAIR_TYPE_SSH
         keypair.fingerprint = fingerprint
         keypair.public_key = public_key
         keypair.create()
@@ -3754,6 +3756,7 @@ class KeypairAPI(base.Base):
         keypair = objects.KeyPair(context)
         keypair.user_id = user_id
         keypair.name = key_name
+        keypair.type = keypair_obj.KEYPAIR_TYPE_SSH
         keypair.fingerprint = fingerprint
         keypair.public_key = public_key
         keypair.create()
diff --git a/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/275_add_keypair_type.py b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/275_add_keypair_type.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..39889066ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/275_add_keypair_type.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2015 Cloudbase Solutions SRL
+# All Rights Reserved
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+from sqlalchemy import MetaData, Column, Table
+from sqlalchemy import Enum
+
+from nova.objects import keypair
+
+
+def upgrade(migrate_engine):
+    """Function adds key_pairs type field."""
+    meta = MetaData(bind=migrate_engine)
+    key_pairs = Table('key_pairs', meta, autoload=True)
+    shadow_key_pairs = Table('shadow_key_pairs', meta, autoload=True)
+
+    enum = Enum('ssh', 'x509', metadata=meta, name='keypair_types')
+    enum.create()
+
+    keypair_type = Column('type', enum, nullable=False,
+                          server_default=keypair.KEYPAIR_TYPE_SSH)
+
+    if hasattr(key_pairs.c, 'type'):
+        key_pairs.c.type.drop()
+
+    if hasattr(shadow_key_pairs.c, 'type'):
+        shadow_key_pairs.c.type.drop()
+
+    key_pairs.create_column(keypair_type)
+    shadow_key_pairs.create_column(keypair_type.copy())
+
+
+def downgrade(migrate_engine):
+    """Function removes key_pairs type field."""
+    meta = MetaData(bind=migrate_engine)
+    key_pairs = Table('key_pairs', meta, autoload=True)
+    shadow_key_pairs = Table('shadow_key_pairs', meta, autoload=True)
+    enum = Enum(metadata=meta, name='keypair_types')
+
+    if hasattr(key_pairs.c, 'type'):
+        key_pairs.c.type.drop()
+
+    if hasattr(shadow_key_pairs.c, 'type'):
+        shadow_key_pairs.c.type.drop()
+
+    enum.drop()
diff --git a/nova/db/sqlalchemy/models.py b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
index edc048ce41..8fae58ef87 100644
--- a/nova/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
+++ b/nova/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
@@ -756,7 +756,7 @@ class ProviderFirewallRule(BASE, NovaBase):
 
 
 class KeyPair(BASE, NovaBase):
-    """Represents a public key pair for ssh."""
+    """Represents a public key pair for ssh / WinRM."""
     __tablename__ = 'key_pairs'
     __table_args__ = (
         schema.UniqueConstraint("user_id", "name", "deleted",
@@ -770,6 +770,8 @@ class KeyPair(BASE, NovaBase):
 
     fingerprint = Column(String(255))
     public_key = Column(MediumText())
+    type = Column(Enum('ssh', 'x509', name='keypair_types'),
+                  nullable=False, server_default='ssh')
 
 
 class Migration(BASE, NovaBase):
diff --git a/nova/objects/keypair.py b/nova/objects/keypair.py
index 0dd3cd0d25..aca274cb77 100644
--- a/nova/objects/keypair.py
+++ b/nova/objects/keypair.py
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ from nova import exception
 from nova import objects
 from nova.objects import base
 from nova.objects import fields
+from nova import utils
+
+KEYPAIR_TYPE_SSH = 'ssh'
 
 
 # TODO(berrange): Remove NovaObjectDictCompat
@@ -24,7 +27,8 @@ class KeyPair(base.NovaPersistentObject, base.NovaObject,
               base.NovaObjectDictCompat):
     # Version 1.0: Initial version
     # Version 1.1: String attributes updated to support unicode
-    VERSION = '1.1'
+    # Version 1.2: Added keypair type
+    VERSION = '1.2'
 
     fields = {
         'id': fields.IntegerField(),
@@ -32,8 +36,15 @@ class KeyPair(base.NovaPersistentObject, base.NovaObject,
         'user_id': fields.StringField(nullable=True),
         'fingerprint': fields.StringField(nullable=True),
         'public_key': fields.StringField(nullable=True),
+        'type': fields.StringField(nullable=False),
         }
 
+    def obj_make_compatible(self, primitive, target_version):
+        super(KeyPair, self).obj_make_compatible(primitive, target_version)
+        target_version = utils.convert_version_to_tuple(target_version)
+        if target_version < (1, 2) and 'type' in primitive:
+            del primitive['type']
+
     @staticmethod
     def _from_db_object(context, keypair, db_keypair):
         for key in keypair.fields:
@@ -68,7 +79,8 @@ class KeyPair(base.NovaPersistentObject, base.NovaObject,
 class KeyPairList(base.ObjectListBase, base.NovaObject):
     # Version 1.0: Initial version
     #              KeyPair <= version 1.1
-    VERSION = '1.0'
+    # Version 1.1: KeyPair <= version 1.2
+    VERSION = '1.1'
 
     fields = {
         'objects': fields.ListOfObjectsField('KeyPair'),
@@ -76,6 +88,7 @@ class KeyPairList(base.ObjectListBase, base.NovaObject):
     child_versions = {
         '1.0': '1.1',
         # NOTE(danms): KeyPair was at 1.1 before we added this
+        '1.1': '1.2',
         }
 
     @base.remotable_classmethod
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/db/test_db_api.py b/nova/tests/unit/db/test_db_api.py
index b002eb3998..88cf1dbc8f 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/db/test_db_api.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/db/test_db_api.py
@@ -5790,6 +5790,7 @@ class KeyPairTestCase(test.TestCase, ModelsObjectComparatorMixin):
     def test_key_pair_create(self):
         param = {
             'name': 'test_1',
+            'type': 'ssh',
             'user_id': 'test_user_id_1',
             'public_key': 'test_public_key_1',
             'fingerprint': 'test_fingerprint_1'
@@ -5802,16 +5803,17 @@ class KeyPairTestCase(test.TestCase, ModelsObjectComparatorMixin):
         self._assertEqualObjects(key_pair, param, ignored_keys)
 
     def test_key_pair_create_with_duplicate_name(self):
-        params = {'name': 'test_name', 'user_id': 'test_user_id'}
+        params = {'name': 'test_name', 'user_id': 'test_user_id',
+                  'type': 'ssh'}
         self._create_key_pair(params)
         self.assertRaises(exception.KeyPairExists, self._create_key_pair,
                           params)
 
     def test_key_pair_get(self):
         params = [
-            {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1'},
-            {'name': 'test_2', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_2'},
-            {'name': 'test_3', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_3'}
+            {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1', 'type': 'ssh'},
+            {'name': 'test_2', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_2', 'type': 'ssh'},
+            {'name': 'test_3', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_3', 'type': 'ssh'}
         ]
         key_pairs = [self._create_key_pair(p) for p in params]
 
@@ -5825,7 +5827,7 @@ class KeyPairTestCase(test.TestCase, ModelsObjectComparatorMixin):
                           self.ctxt, param['user_id'], param['name'])
 
     def test_key_pair_get_deleted(self):
-        param = {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1'}
+        param = {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1', 'type': 'ssh'}
         key_pair_created = self._create_key_pair(param)
 
         db.key_pair_destroy(self.ctxt, param['user_id'], param['name'])
@@ -5842,9 +5844,9 @@ class KeyPairTestCase(test.TestCase, ModelsObjectComparatorMixin):
 
     def test_key_pair_get_all_by_user(self):
         params = [
-            {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1'},
-            {'name': 'test_2', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1'},
-            {'name': 'test_3', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_2'}
+            {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1', 'type': 'ssh'},
+            {'name': 'test_2', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1', 'type': 'ssh'},
+            {'name': 'test_3', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_2', 'type': 'ssh'}
         ]
         key_pairs_user_1 = [self._create_key_pair(p) for p in params
                             if p['user_id'] == 'test_user_id_1']
@@ -5859,9 +5861,9 @@ class KeyPairTestCase(test.TestCase, ModelsObjectComparatorMixin):
 
     def test_key_pair_count_by_user(self):
         params = [
-            {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1'},
-            {'name': 'test_2', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1'},
-            {'name': 'test_3', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_2'}
+            {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1', 'type': 'ssh'},
+            {'name': 'test_2', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1', 'type': 'ssh'},
+            {'name': 'test_3', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_2', 'type': 'ssh'}
         ]
         for p in params:
             self._create_key_pair(p)
@@ -5873,7 +5875,7 @@ class KeyPairTestCase(test.TestCase, ModelsObjectComparatorMixin):
         self.assertEqual(count_2, 1)
 
     def test_key_pair_destroy(self):
-        param = {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1'}
+        param = {'name': 'test_1', 'user_id': 'test_user_id_1', 'type': 'ssh'}
         self._create_key_pair(param)
 
         db.key_pair_destroy(self.ctxt, param['user_id'], param['name'])
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/db/test_migrations.py b/nova/tests/unit/db/test_migrations.py
index f97f17add8..2c9c0862d1 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/db/test_migrations.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/db/test_migrations.py
@@ -758,6 +758,35 @@ class NovaMigrationsCheckers(test_migrations.ModelsMigrationsSync,
         self.assertIndexNotExists(engine, 'instances',
                                   'instances_project_id_deleted_idx')
 
+    def _pre_upgrade_275(self, engine):
+        # Create a keypair record so we can test that the upgrade will set
+        # 'ssh' as default value in the new column for the previous keypair
+        # entries.
+        key_pairs = oslodbutils.get_table(engine, 'key_pairs')
+        fake_keypair = {'name': 'test-migr'}
+        key_pairs.insert().execute(fake_keypair)
+
+    def _check_275(self, engine, data):
+        self.assertColumnExists(engine, 'key_pairs', 'type')
+        self.assertColumnExists(engine, 'shadow_key_pairs', 'type')
+
+        key_pairs = oslodbutils.get_table(engine, 'key_pairs')
+        shadow_key_pairs = oslodbutils.get_table(engine, 'shadow_key_pairs')
+        self.assertIsInstance(key_pairs.c.type.type,
+                              sqlalchemy.types.String)
+        self.assertIsInstance(shadow_key_pairs.c.type.type,
+                              sqlalchemy.types.String)
+
+        # Make sure the keypair entry will have the type 'ssh'
+        key_pairs = oslodbutils.get_table(engine, 'key_pairs')
+        keypair = key_pairs.select(
+            key_pairs.c.name == 'test-migr').execute().first()
+        self.assertEqual('ssh', keypair.type)
+
+    def _post_downgrade_275(self, engine):
+        self.assertColumnNotExists(engine, 'key_pairs', 'type')
+        self.assertColumnNotExists(engine, 'shadow_key_pairs', 'type')
+
 
 class TestNovaMigrationsSQLite(NovaMigrationsCheckers,
                                test.TestCase,
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_keypair.py b/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_keypair.py
index cd1630cf7e..c8f2d807db 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_keypair.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_keypair.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ fake_keypair = {
     'deleted': False,
     'id': 123,
     'name': 'foo-keypair',
+    'type': 'ssh',
     'user_id': 'fake-user',
     'fingerprint': 'fake-fingerprint',
     'public_key': 'fake\npublic\nkey',
@@ -98,6 +99,13 @@ class _TestKeyPairObject(object):
         self.assertEqual(1, keypair.KeyPairList.get_count_by_user(self.context,
                                                                   'fake-user'))
 
+    def test_obj_make_compatible(self):
+        keypair_obj = keypair.KeyPair(context=self.context)
+        fake_keypair_copy = dict(fake_keypair)
+
+        keypair_obj.obj_make_compatible(fake_keypair_copy, '1.1')
+        self.assertNotIn('type', fake_keypair_copy)
+
 
 class TestMigrationObject(test_objects._LocalTest,
                           _TestKeyPairObject):
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py b/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py
index 12d34fe234..b55d724f77 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/objects/test_objects.py
@@ -1151,8 +1151,8 @@ object_data = {
     'InstanceNUMATopology': '1.1-86b95d263c4c68411d44c6741b8d2bb0',
     'InstancePCIRequest': '1.1-e082d174f4643e5756ba098c47c1510f',
     'InstancePCIRequests': '1.1-bc7c6684d8579ee49d6a3b8aef756918',
-    'KeyPair': '1.1-3410f51950d052d861c11946a6ae621a',
-    'KeyPairList': '1.0-71132a568cc5d078ba1748a9c02c87b8',
+    'KeyPair': '1.2-adf0be7b68e0b9f1ec011e23a9761354',
+    'KeyPairList': '1.1-152dc1efcc46014cc10656a0d0ac5bb0',
     'Migration': '1.1-67c47726c2c71422058cd9d149d6d3ed',
     'MigrationList': '1.1-8c5f678edc72a592d591a13b35e54353',
     'MyObj': '1.6-02b1e712b7ee334fa3fefe024c340977',