diff --git a/roles/overcloud-deploy/defaults/main.yml b/roles/overcloud-deploy/defaults/main.yml
index 0d986b079..ff34be0a3 100644
--- a/roles/overcloud-deploy/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/overcloud-deploy/defaults/main.yml
@@ -170,3 +170,7 @@ resource_registry_args:
   OS::TripleO::Controller::Net::SoftwareConfig: nic-configs/controller.yaml
   OS::TripleO::ObjectStorage::Net::SoftwareConfig: nic-configs/swift-storage.yaml
   OS::TripleO::CephStorage::Net::SoftwareConfig: nic-configs/ceph-storage.yaml
+
+# Used to deploy podman on the undercloud instead of docker
+# TODO(emilien) in Stein, we'll switch the default to podman
+overcloud_container_cli: docker
diff --git a/roles/overcloud-deploy/tasks/pre-deploy.yml b/roles/overcloud-deploy/tasks/pre-deploy.yml
index a47019ba8..7cd384fcf 100644
--- a/roles/overcloud-deploy/tasks/pre-deploy.yml
+++ b/roles/overcloud-deploy/tasks/pre-deploy.yml
@@ -195,6 +195,9 @@
       {% else %}
       -e {{ working_dir }}/containers-prepare-parameter.yaml
       {% endif %}
+      {% if release not in ['pike', 'queens', 'rocky'] and overcloud_container_cli == 'podman' %}
+      -e {{ overcloud_templates_path }}/environments/podman.yaml
+      {% endif %}
   when:
     - containerized_overcloud|bool