diff --git a/bindep.txt b/bindep.txt
index c7e45e95..11673d17 100644
--- a/bindep.txt
+++ b/bindep.txt
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
 
 openvswitch [platform:rpm test]
 openvswitch-switch [platform:dpkg test]
+curl [test]
diff --git a/ovsdbapp/native/helpers.py b/ovsdbapp/native/helpers.py
index 08631ba3..c1fe3f45 100644
--- a/ovsdbapp/native/helpers.py
+++ b/ovsdbapp/native/helpers.py
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ def _connection_to_manager_uri(conn_uri):
         return 'p%s:%s' % (proto, addr)
 
 
+# TODO(jlibosva): Get rid of this runtime configuration and raise a message to
+#                 set Manager outside of ovsdbapp.
 def enable_connection_uri(conn_uri, execute=None, **kwargs):
     timeout = kwargs.get('timeout', 5)
     probe = timeout if kwargs.get('set_timeout') else None
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/configure-ovsdb-manager-a29a148b241a125e.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/configure-ovsdb-manager-a29a148b241a125e.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5e9bb23f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/configure-ovsdb-manager-a29a148b241a125e.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+other:
+  - |
+    ovsdbapp must get granted access to ovsdb by adding a new Manager via ovs-vsctl
+    command. The command must be executed with root privileges. An example of how to
+    create a new manager for localhost on port 6640 is as follows:
+        `sudo ovs-vsctl --id=@manager -- create Manager target=\"ptcp:6640:127.0.0.1\" -- add Open_vSwitch . manager_options @manager'
diff --git a/tools/test-setup.sh b/tools/test-setup.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..fbb539df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/test-setup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/bash -xe
+
+# This script is triggered by extra-test-setup macro from project-config
+# repository.
+
+# Set manager for native interface
+sudo ovs-vsctl --timeout=10 --id=@manager -- create Manager target=\"ptcp:6640:127.0.0.1\" -- add Open_vSwitch . manager_options @manager
diff --git a/tools/tox_install.sh b/tools/tox_install.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5baa4366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tox_install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Client constraint file contains this client version pin that is in conflict
+# with installing the client from source. We should remove the version pin in
+# the constraints file before applying it for from-source installation.
+
+CONSTRAINTS_FILE=$1
+shift 1
+
+set -e
+
+# NOTE(tonyb): Place this in the tox enviroment's log dir so it will get
+# published to logs.openstack.org for easy debugging.
+localfile="$VIRTUAL_ENV/log/upper-constraints.txt"
+
+if [[ $CONSTRAINTS_FILE != http* ]]; then
+    CONSTRAINTS_FILE=file://$CONSTRAINTS_FILE
+fi
+
+curl $CONSTRAINTS_FILE --insecure --progress-bar --output $localfile
+
+pip install -c$localfile openstack-requirements
+
+# This is the main purpose of the script: Allow local installation of
+# the current repo. It is listed in constraints file and thus any
+# install will be constrained and we need to unconstrain it.
+edit-constraints $localfile -- $CLIENT_NAME
+
+pip install -c$localfile -U $*
+exit $?
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index a32150d4..dfed0a59 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@ skipsdist = True
 
 [testenv]
 usedevelop = True
-install_command = pip install -c{env:UPPER_CONSTRAINTS_FILE:https://git.openstack.org/cgit/openstack/requirements/plain/upper-constraints.txt} {opts} {packages}
 setenv =
    VIRTUAL_ENV={envdir}
    PYTHONWARNINGS=default::DeprecationWarning
    OS_TEST_PATH=./ovsdbapp/tests/unit
+   CLIENT_NAME=ovsdbapp
+install_command = {toxinidir}/tools/tox_install.sh {env:UPPER_CONSTRAINTS_FILE:https://git.openstack.org/cgit/openstack/requirements/plain/upper-constraints.txt} {opts} {packages}
 deps = -r{toxinidir}/test-requirements.txt
 commands = python setup.py testr --slowest --testr-args='{posargs}'
 
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ commands =
 commands = oslo_debug_helper {posargs}
 
 [testenv:functional]
-setenv = OS_TEST_PATH=./ovsdbapp/tests/functional
+setenv = {[testenv]setenv}
+         OS_TEST_PATH=./ovsdbapp/tests/functional
 
 [flake8]
 # E123, E125 skipped as they are invalid PEP-8.