diff --git a/roles/validate-tempest/README.md b/roles/validate-tempest/README.md
index ff04f9e39..e936642c2 100644
--- a/roles/validate-tempest/README.md
+++ b/roles/validate-tempest/README.md
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ Role Variables
 * `test_regex` - tests regular expression for testr run, i.e. smoke or tempest.api.object_storage|keystone_tempest_plugin.
 * `run_tempest`: false/true - to run tempest or not
 * `tempest_config`: false/true - whether to prepare the script which configures and runs tempest or not
+* `tempest_whitelist`: list - list of tests you want to be executed. set `skip_file_src`
+                       to empty if you don't want to run with blacklist_file option.
+                       Default value is an empty list
 * `skip_file_src`: path to skip tests file, set it empty if running without skip list: `skip_file_src=''`
 * `tempest_workers`: int - how many parallel workers to run (default is number of cores)
-* `tempest_tests_file`: path to file - path to file with tests to run
 * `tempest_until_failure`: false/true - default is false, repeat the run again and again until failure occurs
 * `tempest_exit_on_failure`: true/false - whether to exit from role with tempest exit code (default: true)
 * `tempestmail_config`: config.yaml - name of config file for tempestmail script
diff --git a/roles/validate-tempest/defaults/main.yml b/roles/validate-tempest/defaults/main.yml
index 26b26c059..10fa03c31 100644
--- a/roles/validate-tempest/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/validate-tempest/defaults/main.yml
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ tempest_overcloud: true
 run_tempest: false
 post_tempest: true
 tempest_format: packages # venv or packages
+tempest_whitelist_file_src: "whitelist_file.j2"
+tempest_whitelist_file: "whitelist_file"
+tempest_whitelist: []
 skip_file_src: "skip_file.j2"
 skip_file: skip_file
 tempest_until_failure: false
diff --git a/roles/validate-tempest/tasks/pre-tempest.yml b/roles/validate-tempest/tasks/pre-tempest.yml
index ebdec50df..0c2e594f2 100644
--- a/roles/validate-tempest/tasks/pre-tempest.yml
+++ b/roles/validate-tempest/tasks/pre-tempest.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 - name: Load skip list variables
   include_vars:
     file: "tempest_skip_{{ release }}.yml"
+  when: skip_file_src != ''
 
 - name: Create tempest skipfile
   template:
@@ -23,6 +24,13 @@
     mode: 0644
   when: skip_file_src != ''
 
+- name: Create tempest white file
+  template:
+    src: "{{ tempest_whitelist_file_src }}"
+    dest: "{{ working_dir }}/{{ tempest_whitelist_file }}"
+    mode: 0644
+  when: tempest_whitelist|length > 0
+
 - ignore_errors: true
   block:
     - name: Copying bugcheck files
diff --git a/roles/validate-tempest/templates/run-tempest.sh.j2 b/roles/validate-tempest/templates/run-tempest.sh.j2
index 9e8ddd191..ef7b9cbf9 100644
--- a/roles/validate-tempest/templates/run-tempest.sh.j2
+++ b/roles/validate-tempest/templates/run-tempest.sh.j2
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@
 ## running tests: https://bugs.launchpad.net/tempest/+bug/1669455
 
 {% if tempest_format == "venv" %}
-export OSTESTR='{{ working_dir }}/tempest_git/tools/with_venv.sh ostestr --regex'
+export OSTESTR='{{ working_dir }}/tempest_git/tools/with_venv.sh ostestr'
 export S2JXML='{{ working_dir }}/tempest_git/tools/with_venv.sh subunit2junitxml --output-to=tempest.xml'
 export SUBUNIT='{{ working_dir }}/tempest_git/tools/with_venv.sh subunit-trace --no-failure-debug -f'
 export TEMPESTCLI='{{ working_dir }}/tempest_git/tools/with_venv.sh tempest'
 ## List Tests
 {{ working_dir }}/tempest_git/tools/with_venv.sh ostestr -l
 {% elif tempest_format == "packages" %}
-export OSTESTR='ostestr --regex'
+export OSTESTR='ostestr'
 export S2JXML='subunit2junitxml --output-to=tempest.xml'
 export SUBUNIT='subunit-trace --no-failure-debug -f'
 export TEMPESTCLI='/usr/bin/tempest'
@@ -32,9 +32,11 @@ $TEMPESTCLI list-plugins
 $TEMPESTCLI cleanup --init-saved-state
 {% endif %}
 
-( $OSTESTR '({{ test_regex }})' --no-pretty --subunit {% if skip_file_src != '' %}--blacklist_file={{ working_dir }}/{{ skip_file }}{% endif %}
+( $OSTESTR --no-pretty --subunit \
+{% if test_regex != '' %} --regex '({{ test_regex }})' {% endif %}
+{% if tempest_whitelist|length > 0 %} --whitelist_file={{ working_dir }}/{{ tempest_whitelist_file }} {% endif %}
+{% if skip_file_src != '' %} --blacklist_file={{ working_dir }}/{{ skip_file }} {% endif %}
 {% if tempest_workers is defined %} --concurrency {{ tempest_workers }} {% endif %}
-{% if tempest_tests_file is defined %} --load-list={{ tempest_tests_file }} {% endif %}
 {% if tempest_until_failure|bool %} --until-failure {% endif %}
 ) | tee >( $S2JXML ) | $SUBUNIT
 
diff --git a/roles/validate-tempest/templates/whitelist_file.j2 b/roles/validate-tempest/templates/whitelist_file.j2
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82738884e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/validate-tempest/templates/whitelist_file.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{% for test in tempest_whitelist %}
+{{ test }}
+{% endfor %}