diff --git a/playbooks/tripleo-ci/ceph.yaml b/playbooks/tripleo-ci/ceph.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3d7127961
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/tripleo-ci/ceph.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+- hosts: subnodes
+  name: Bootstrap subnodes - setup ceph-ansible /dev/loop3 /var/lib/ceph-osd.img
+  vars:
+    ceph_loop_device: /dev/loop3
+    ceph_loop_device_file: /var/lib/ceph-osd.img
+  tasks:
+    - name: stat ceph_loop_device see if it already exists
+      stat:
+        path: "{{ ceph_loop_device }}"
+      register: dev_loop3_res
+    - name: log to syslog if ceph_loop_device exists
+      syslogger:
+        msg: "boostrap-subnodes - warning {{ ceph_loop_device }} already exists"
+      when: dev_loop3_res.stat.exists
+    - name: Make sure we have losetup installed/latest
+      package:
+        name: util-linux
+        state: latest
+    - name: Use dd and losetup to create the loop device
+      become: true
+      shell: |
+        dd if=/dev/zero of={{ ceph_loop_device_file }} bs=1 count=0 seek=7G
+        losetup {{ ceph_loop_device }} {{ ceph_loop_device_file }}
+        lsblk
diff --git a/playbooks/tripleo-ci/templates/oooq_common_functions.sh.j2 b/playbooks/tripleo-ci/templates/oooq_common_functions.sh.j2
index 554886a09..f10147843 100644
--- a/playbooks/tripleo-ci/templates/oooq_common_functions.sh.j2
+++ b/playbooks/tripleo-ci/templates/oooq_common_functions.sh.j2
@@ -175,33 +175,3 @@ function sanitize_ip_address {
         echo $ip
     fi
 }
-
-function echo_vars_to_deploy_env_oooq {
-    CALLER=$(caller)
-    echo "# Written via echo_vars_to_deploy_env from $CALLER" >> $TRIPLEO_ROOT/tripleo-ci/deploy.env
-    for VAR in NODEPOOL_CENTOS_MIRROR http_proxy MY_IP no_proxy NODECOUNT SSH_OPTIONS STABLE_RELEASE TRIPLEO_ROOT TOCI_JOBTYPE JOB_NAME SUBNODES_SSH_KEY FEATURE_BRANCH BOOTSTRAP_SUBNODES_MINIMAL; do
-        if [ -n "${!VAR:+x}" ]; then
-            echo "export $VAR=\"${!VAR}\"" >> $TRIPLEO_ROOT/tripleo-ci/deploy.env
-        fi
-    done
-    # TODO(gcerami) uncomment this code if 3nodes jobs are implemented before the bootstrap role
-    # in quickstart. If the bootstrap role is implemented first, this function can be completely
-    # removed
-    #for role in $OVERCLOUD_ROLES; do
-    #    eval hosts=\${${role}_hosts}
-    #    echo "export ${role}_hosts=\"${hosts}\"" >> $TRIPLEO_ROOT/tripleo-ci/deploy.env
-    #done
-}
-
-function subnodes_scp_deploy_env {
-    for ip in $(cat /etc/nodepool/sub_nodes_private); do
-        sanitized_address=$(sanitize_ip_address $ip)
-        ssh $SSH_OPTIONS -tt -i /etc/nodepool/id_rsa $ip \
-            sudo mkdir -p $TRIPLEO_ROOT/tripleo-ci
-        scp $SSH_OPTIONS -i /etc/nodepool/id_rsa \
-            $TRIPLEO_ROOT/tripleo-ci/deploy.env ${sanitized_address}:
-        ssh $SSH_OPTIONS -tt -i /etc/nodepool/id_rsa $ip \
-            sudo cp deploy.env $TRIPLEO_ROOT/tripleo-ci/deploy.env
-    done
-}
-
diff --git a/playbooks/tripleo-ci/templates/toci_gate_test.sh.j2 b/playbooks/tripleo-ci/templates/toci_gate_test.sh.j2
index 003e2a097..f317a19c4 100755
--- a/playbooks/tripleo-ci/templates/toci_gate_test.sh.j2
+++ b/playbooks/tripleo-ci/templates/toci_gate_test.sh.j2
@@ -240,26 +240,6 @@ else
     undercloud_haproxy_admin_ip=$undercloud_net_range"3"
     export no_proxy=$undercloud_services_ip,$undercloud_haproxy_public_ip,$undercloud_haproxy_admin_ip,$MY_IP,$MY_IP_eth1
 
-
-
-    # multinode bootstrap script
-    export DO_BOOTSTRAP_SUBNODES=${DO_BOOTSTRAP_SUBNODES:-1}
-    export BOOTSTRAP_SUBNODES_MINIMAL=1
-    overcloud_release=${UPGRADE_RELEASE:-$STABLE_RELEASE}
-    if [ "${overcloud_release}" = "newton" ]; then
-        BOOTSTRAP_SUBNODES_MINIMAL=0
-    fi
-
-    echo_vars_to_deploy_env_oooq
-    subnodes_scp_deploy_env
-    if [ "$DO_BOOTSTRAP_SUBNODES" = "1" ]; then
-        $TRIPLEO_ROOT/tripleo-ci/scripts/tripleo.sh \
-            --bootstrap-subnodes \
-            2>&1 | awk '{ print strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S |"), $0; fflush(); }' | sudo tee /var/log/bootstrap-subnodes.log \
-            || (tail -n 50 /var/log/bootstrap-subnodes.log && false)
-    fi
-
-
     # finally, run quickstart
     ./toci_quickstart.sh
 fi
diff --git a/zuul.d/base.yaml b/zuul.d/base.yaml
index a1099aa58..e027a2bbe 100644
--- a/zuul.d/base.yaml
+++ b/zuul.d/base.yaml
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
       - playbooks/nodepool-provider/pre.yaml
       - playbooks/multinode-networking/pre.yaml
       - playbooks/openstack-zuul-jobs/legacy/pre.yaml
+      - playbooks/tripleo-ci/ceph.yaml
     run: playbooks/tripleo-ci/run-v3.yaml
     post-run: playbooks/tripleo-ci/post.yaml
     irrelevant-files: