diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index cedc4d0..90ff12f 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -39,6 +39,4 @@ memcached_connections: 1024
 memcached_threads: 4
 memcached_file_limits: "{{ memcached_connections | int + 1024 }}"
 
-memcached_distro_packages: []
-memcached_test_distro_packages: []
 install_test_packages: False
diff --git a/tasks/memcached_install.yml b/tasks/memcached_install.yml
index 07325b9..9faef8d 100644
--- a/tasks/memcached_install.yml
+++ b/tasks/memcached_install.yml
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-- name: Install memcached packages
+- name: Install distro packages
   package:
-    name: "{{ item }}"
+    name: "{{ memcached_package_list }}"
     state: "{{ memcached_package_state }}"
     update_cache: "{{ (ansible_pkg_mgr == 'apt') | ternary('yes', omit) }}"
     cache_valid_time: "{{ (ansible_pkg_mgr == 'apt') | ternary(cache_timeout, omit) }}"
@@ -23,17 +23,3 @@
   until: install_packages | success
   retries: 5
   delay: 2
-  with_items: "{{ memcached_distro_packages }}"
-
-- name: Install memcached packages for testing
-  package:
-    name: "{{ item }}"
-    state: "{{ memcached_package_state }}"
-    update_cache: "{{ (ansible_pkg_mgr == 'apt') | ternary('yes', omit) }}"
-    cache_valid_time: "{{ (ansible_pkg_mgr == 'apt') | ternary(cache_timeout, omit) }}"
-  register: install_test_packages
-  until: install_test_packages | success
-  retries: 5
-  delay: 2
-  with_items: "{{ memcached_test_distro_packages }}"
-  when: install_test_packages | bool
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79f8a89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+---
+# Copyright 2017, Rackspace US, Inc.
+#
+# 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.
+
+#
+# Compile a list of the distro packages to install based on
+# whether the host is in the host group and the service is
+# enabled.
+#
+memcached_package_list: |-
+  {% set packages = memcached_distro_packages %}
+  {% if install_test_packages | bool %}
+  {%   set _ = packages.extend(memcached_test_distro_packages) %}
+  {% endif %}
+  {{ packages }}