diff --git a/devstack/plugin.sh b/devstack/plugin.sh
index 2bd4b76a1..f41756baa 100644
--- a/devstack/plugin.sh
+++ b/devstack/plugin.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 # under the License.
 
 NODEPOOL_KEY=$HOME/.ssh/id_nodepool
+NODEPOOL_KEY_NAME=root
 NODEPOOL_PUBKEY=$HOME/.ssh/id_nodepool.pub
 NODEPOOL_INSTALL=$HOME/nodepool-venv
 NODEPOOL_CACHE_GET_PIP=/opt/stack/cache/files/get-pip.py
@@ -78,6 +79,13 @@ function nodepool_create_keypairs {
     if [[ ! -f $NODEPOOL_KEY ]]; then
         ssh-keygen -f $NODEPOOL_KEY -P ""
     fi
+
+    cat > /tmp/ssh_wrapper <<EOF
+#!/bin/bash -ex
+sudo -H -u stack ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -i $NODEPOOL_KEY root@\$@
+
+EOF
+    sudo chmod 0755 /tmp/ssh_wrapper
 }
 
 function nodepool_write_elements {
@@ -284,36 +292,42 @@ providers:
         username: devuser
         private-key: $NODEPOOL_KEY
         config-drive: true
+        key-name: $NODEPOOL_KEY_NAME
       - name: debian-jessie
         min-ram: 512
         name-filter: 'nodepool'
         username: devuser
         private-key: $NODEPOOL_KEY
         config-drive: true
+        key-name: $NODEPOOL_KEY_NAME
       - name: fedora-25
         min-ram: 1024
         name-filter: 'nodepool'
         username: devuser
         private-key: $NODEPOOL_KEY
         config-drive: true
+        key-name: $NODEPOOL_KEY_NAME
       - name: opensuse-42.2
         min-ram: 1024
         name-filter: 'nodepool'
         username: devuser
         private-key: $NODEPOOL_KEY
         config-drive: true
+        key-name: $NODEPOOL_KEY_NAME
       - name: ubuntu-trusty
         min-ram: 512
         name-filter: 'nodepool'
         username: devuser
         private-key: $NODEPOOL_KEY
         config-drive: true
+        key-name: $NODEPOOL_KEY_NAME
       - name: ubuntu-xenial
         min-ram: 512
         name-filter: 'nodepool'
         username: devuser
         private-key: $NODEPOOL_KEY
         config-drive: true
+        key-name: $NODEPOOL_KEY_NAME
 
 diskimages:
   - name: centos-7
@@ -507,6 +521,10 @@ function start_nodepool {
              secgroup-add-rule default udp 1 65535 0.0.0.0/0
     fi
 
+    # create root keypair to use with glean for devstack cloud.
+    nova --os-project-name demo --os-username demo \
+        keypair-add --pub-key $NODEPOOL_PUBKEY $NODEPOOL_KEY_NAME
+
     export PATH=$NODEPOOL_INSTALL/bin:$PATH
 
     # start gearman server
diff --git a/tools/check_devstack_plugin.sh b/tools/check_devstack_plugin.sh
index 04c08b617..776f33a31 100755
--- a/tools/check_devstack_plugin.sh
+++ b/tools/check_devstack_plugin.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ NODEPOOL_PAUSE_OPENSUSE_42_2_DIB=${NODEPOOL_PAUSE_OPENSUSE_42_2_DIB:-true}
 NODEPOOL_PAUSE_UBUNTU_TRUSTY_DIB=${NODEPOOL_PAUSE_UBUNTU_TRUSTY_DIB:-false}
 NODEPOOL_PAUSE_UBUNTU_XENIAL_DIB=${NODEPOOL_PAUSE_UBUNTU_XENIAL_DIB:-true}
 
+function sshintonode {
+    name=$1
+    state='ready'
+
+    node=`$NODEPOOL list | grep $name | grep $state | cut -d '|' -f11 | tr -d ' '`
+    /tmp/ssh_wrapper $node ls /
+}
+
 function waitforimage {
     name=$1
     state='ready'
@@ -46,6 +54,8 @@ if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_CENTOS_7_DIB = 'false' ]; then
     waitforimage centos-7
     # check image was bootable
     waitfornode centos-7
+    # check ssh for root user
+    sshintonode centos-7
 fi
 
 if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_DEBIAN_JESSIE_DIB = 'false' ]; then
@@ -53,6 +63,8 @@ if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_DEBIAN_JESSIE_DIB = 'false' ]; then
     waitforimage debian-jessie
     # check image was bootable
     waitfornode debian-jessie
+    # check ssh for root user
+    sshintonode debian-jessie
 fi
 
 if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_FEDORA_25_DIB = 'false' ]; then
@@ -60,6 +72,8 @@ if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_FEDORA_25_DIB = 'false' ]; then
     waitforimage fedora-25
     # check image was bootable
     waitfornode fedora-25
+    # check ssh for root user
+    sshintonode fedora-25
 fi
 
 if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_OPENSUSE_42_2_DIB = 'false' ]; then
@@ -67,6 +81,8 @@ if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_OPENSUSE_42_2_DIB = 'false' ]; then
     waitforimage opensuse-42.2
     # check image was bootable
     waitfornode opensuse-42.2
+    # check ssh for root user
+    sshintonode opensuse-42.2
 fi
 
 if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_UBUNTU_TRUSTY_DIB = 'false' ]; then
@@ -74,6 +90,8 @@ if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_UBUNTU_TRUSTY_DIB = 'false' ]; then
     waitforimage ubuntu-trusty
     # check image was bootable
     waitfornode ubuntu-trusty
+    # check ssh for root user
+    sshintonode ubuntu-trusty
 fi
 
 if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_UBUNTU_XENIAL_DIB = 'false' ]; then
@@ -81,6 +99,8 @@ if [ $NODEPOOL_PAUSE_UBUNTU_XENIAL_DIB = 'false' ]; then
     waitforimage ubuntu-xenial
     # check image was bootable
     waitfornode ubuntu-xenial
+    # check ssh for root user
+    sshintonode ubuntu-xenial
 fi
 
 set -o errexit