diff --git a/.zuul.yaml b/.zuul.yaml
index 76baacc29f..3974478dd9 100644
--- a/.zuul.yaml
+++ b/.zuul.yaml
@@ -157,6 +157,18 @@
       - roles/.*
       - testinfra/.*
 
+- job:
+    name: system-config-run-base-ansible-devel
+    parent: system-config-run-base
+    description: |
+      Run the base playbook with the latest ansible
+    required-projects:
+      - name: github.com/ansible/ansible
+        override-checkout: devel
+    vars:
+      bridge_ansible_name: '{{ ansible_user_dir}}/src/github.com/ansible/ansible'
+      bridge_ansible_version: null
+
 - job:
     name: system-config-run-eavesdrop
     parent: system-config-run
@@ -262,6 +274,7 @@
         - puppet-beaker-rspec-puppet-4-infra-system-config
         - puppet-beaker-rspec-puppet-4-centos-7-infra-system-config
         - system-config-run-base
+        - system-config-run-base-ansible-devel
         - system-config-run-dns
         - system-config-run-eavesdrop
         - system-config-run-nodepool
diff --git a/playbooks/bridge.yaml b/playbooks/bridge.yaml
index a7d2d462fd..029de72cf2 100644
--- a/playbooks/bridge.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/bridge.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
   become: true
   roles:
     - pip3
-    - install-ansible
+    # Note for production use we expect to take the defaults; unit
+    # test jobs override this to test with latest upstream ansible.
+    - role: install-ansible
+      install_ansible_name: '{{ bridge_ansible_name | default("ansible") }}'
+      install_ansible_version: '{{ bridge_ansible_version | default("2.7.0") }}'
     - root-keys
     - ansible-cron
     - cloud-launcher-cron
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/README.rst b/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/README.rst
index d6eaee5f43..7f6e5f541a 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/README.rst
+++ b/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/README.rst
@@ -2,4 +2,20 @@ Install and configure Ansible on a host via pip
 
 **Role Variables**
 
-* None
+.. zuul:rolevar:: install_ansible_name
+   :default: ansible
+
+   The name of the ansible package to install.  To install from
+   alternative sources, this can be a URL for a remote package;
+   e.g. to install from upstream devel branch
+   ``git+https://github.com/ansible/ansible.git@devel``
+
+.. zuul:rolevar:: install_ansible_version
+   :default: latest
+
+   The version of the library from
+   :zuul:rolevar:`install-ansible.install_ansible_name`.  Set this to
+   empty (YAML ``null``) if specifying versions via URL in
+   :zuul:rolevar:`install-ansible.install_ansible_name`.  The special
+   value "latest" will ensure ``state: latest`` is set for the
+   package and thus the latest version is always installed.
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/tasks/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/tasks/main.yaml
index 1f62456508..21963b4042 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,29 @@
+# If ansible_install_version is not defined it should be "latest"
+- name: Set ansible default version to latest
+  set_fact:
+    install_ansible_version: latest
+  when: install_ansible_version is not defined
+
+# If a version is not explicitly set we want to make sure to
+# completely omit the version argument to pip, as it will be coming
+# from the long-form install_ansible_name variable.  Additionally, if
+# the version is the special value "latest", then we also want to omit
+# any version number, but also set the package state to "latest".
+- name: Set ansible version for installation
+  set_fact:
+    _install_ansible_version: '{{ install_ansible_version }}'
+  when: install_ansible_version not in ('', 'latest')
+
+- name: Set ansible package state for installation
+  set_fact:
+    _install_ansible_state: latest
+  when: install_ansible_version == 'latest'
+
 - name: Install ansible
   pip:
-    name: ansible
+    name: '{{ install_ansible_name | default("ansible") }}'
+    version: '{{ _install_ansible_version | default(omit) }}'
+    state: '{{ _install_ansible_state | default(omit) }}'
 
 - name: Install openstacksdk
   pip:
@@ -56,3 +79,6 @@
     name: logrotate
   vars:
     logrotate_file_name: /var/log/ansible/ansible.log
+
+- name: Verify ansible install
+  command: ansible --version