diff --git a/vars/redhat-7.yml b/vars/redhat-7.yml
index 2bfd49f8..0bc75ff5 100644
--- a/vars/redhat-7.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat-7.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 tempest_distro_packages:
   - git
   - libxslt              # required by the python module unittest2
+  - gcc                  # required to build tempest plugins (TODO) remove this when the repo server can satisfy the tempest plugin requirements
 
 tempest_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-tempest
diff --git a/vars/suse.yml b/vars/suse.yml
index 4ef4b756..fb436090 100644
--- a/vars/suse.yml
+++ b/vars/suse.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 tempest_distro_packages:
   - git-core
   - libxslt              # required by the python module unittest2
+  - gcc                  # required to build tempest plugins (TODO) remove this when the repo server can satisfy the tempest plugin requirements
 
 tempest_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-tempest
diff --git a/vars/ubuntu.yml b/vars/ubuntu.yml
index 23bff07c..77e1a426 100644
--- a/vars/ubuntu.yml
+++ b/vars/ubuntu.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ _stestr_executable: "{{ (tempest_install_method == 'distro') | ternary('testr',
 tempest_distro_packages:
   - git-core
   - libxslt1.1           # required by the python module unittest2
+  - build-essential      # required to build tempest plugins (TODO) remove this when repo server can satisfy the tempest plugin requirements
 
 tempest_service_distro_packages:
   - tempest