diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index b42ab67..a4232d3 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -86,3 +86,21 @@ repo_ssh_keypairs_install_ca: "{{ openstack_ssh_keypairs_authorities }}"
 repo_ssh_keypairs_principals:
   - user: "{{ repo_service_user_name }}"
     principals: "{{ repo_ssh_key_principals | default(['repo']) }}"
+
+# Temporary variable which allows the lsyncd/rsync installation to be disabled outside this
+# role when transtioning to using a shared filesystem to sync contents between repo_servers.
+# The default is to enable the sync manager to give backward compatibility and allow code to
+# merge.
+repo_server_enable_sync_manager: True
+
+# Multiple repo servers must have a shared /var/www/repo
+repo_server_systemd_mounts: []
+
+# Example using remote shared filesystem to synchronise the repo contents between
+# several repo servers
+#repo_server_systemd_mounts:
+#  - what: "gluster-server:gluster-volume-name"
+#    where: "/var/www/repo"
+#    type: glusterfs
+#    state: 'started'
+#    enabled: true
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index c7d5619..3468864 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@
     state: absent
 
 - include: repo_sync_manager.yml
-  when: inventory_hostname == groups['repo_all'][0]
+  when:
+    - repo_server_enable_sync_manager
+    - inventory_hostname == groups['repo_all'][0]
   tags:
     - repo_server-config
 
diff --git a/tasks/repo_pre_install.yml b/tasks/repo_pre_install.yml
index 4f815ea..d8ef708 100644
--- a/tasks/repo_pre_install.yml
+++ b/tasks/repo_pre_install.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,13 @@
     createhome: "yes"
     home: "{{ repo_service_home_folder }}"
 
+- name: Mount any remote volumes
+  include_role:
+    name: systemd_mount
+  vars:
+    systemd_mounts: "{{ repo_server_systemd_mounts }}"
+  when: repo_server_systemd_mounts | length > 0
+
 - name: File and directory setup (non-root user)
   file:
     path: "{{ item.path }}"