diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/openstack-ci-mirrors/environment.d/11-dib-distribution-mirror.bash b/diskimage_builder/elements/openstack-ci-mirrors/environment.d/11-dib-distribution-mirror.bash
index 33ae67c37..d0b376118 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/openstack-ci-mirrors/environment.d/11-dib-distribution-mirror.bash
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/openstack-ci-mirrors/environment.d/11-dib-distribution-mirror.bash
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ if [ -f /etc/ci/mirror_info.sh ]; then
         export DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR=$NODEPOOL_CENTOS_MIRROR
     elif [[ "${DISTRO_NAME}" == "centos7" ]]; then
         export DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR=$NODEPOOL_CENTOS_MIRROR
+    elif [[ "${DISTRO_NAME}" == "opensuse" ]]; then
+        export DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR=$NODEPOOL_OPENSUSE_MIRROR
     fi
 
 fi
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/README.rst b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/README.rst
index 75023f731..3a01c3f93 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/README.rst
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/README.rst
@@ -15,14 +15,3 @@ DIB_RELEASE
   :Required: No
   :Default: 42.2
   :Description: Set the desired openSUSE release.
-
-DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR:
-   :Required: No
-   :Default: http://download.opensuse.org
-   :Description: To use a specific openSUSE mirror, set this variable to the
-                 mirror URL before running bin/disk-image-create. This URL
-                 should point to the root directory as indicated in the
-                 http://mirrors.opensuse.org/ webpage. You normally
-                 don't want to change that since the default setting will
-                 pick the mirror closest to you.
-   :Example: ``DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR=http://ftp.cc.uoc.gr/mirrors/linux/opensuse/opensuse/``
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/environment.d/10-opensuse-distro-name.bash b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/environment.d/10-opensuse-distro-name.bash
index 557c44642..c14401b33 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/environment.d/10-opensuse-distro-name.bash
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/environment.d/10-opensuse-distro-name.bash
@@ -1,27 +1,4 @@
 export DISTRO_NAME=opensuse
 DIB_RELEASE=${DIB_RELEASE:-42.2}
 export DIB_RELEASE=${DIB_RELEASE,,}
-export DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR=${DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR:-http://download.opensuse.org}
 export DIB_OPENSUSE_PATTERNS=patterns-openSUSE-base
-case ${DIB_RELEASE} in
-    # We are using "=>" as the assignment symbol since "@" "=" etc could be used in the URI itself.
-    # Remember, we can't export an array in bash so we use a string instead.
-    # Repo format: {name}=>{uri}
-    # Old openSUSE releases
-    13*)
-        ZYPPER_REPOS="update=>${DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR}/update/${DIB_RELEASE}/ "
-        ZYPPER_REPOS+="oss=>${DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR}/distribution/${DIB_RELEASE}/repo/oss/"
-        ;;
-    # New Leap releases
-    42*)
-        ZYPPER_REPOS="update=>${DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR}/update/leap/${DIB_RELEASE}/oss/ "
-        ZYPPER_REPOS+="oss=>${DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR}/distribution/leap/${DIB_RELEASE}/repo/oss/"
-        ;;
-    # Tumbleweed
-    tumbleweed)
-        ZYPPER_REPOS="update=>${DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR}/update/${DIB_RELEASE}/ "
-        ZYPPER_REPOS+="oss=>${DIB_OPENSUSE_MIRROR}/${DIB_RELEASE}/repo/oss/"
-        ;;
-    *) echo "Unsupported openSUSE release: ${DIB_RELEASE}"; exit 1 ;;
-esac
-export ZYPPER_REPOS
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/test-elements/opensuse423-build-succeeds/element-deps b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/test-elements/opensuse423-build-succeeds/element-deps
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d58b59ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse-minimal/test-elements/opensuse423-build-succeeds/element-deps
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+openstack-ci-mirrors
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse/environment.d/10-opensuse-distro-name.bash b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse/environment.d/10-opensuse-distro-name.bash
index 6291ed393..1abd30c07 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse/environment.d/10-opensuse-distro-name.bash
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse/environment.d/10-opensuse-distro-name.bash
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ case ${DIB_RELEASE} in
     42*) export OPENSUSE_REPO_DIR=openSUSE_Leap_${DIB_RELEASE} ;;
     *) echo "Unsupported openSUSE release: ${DIB_RELEASE}"; exit 1 ;;
 esac
+
+export DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR=${DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR:-http://download.opensuse.org}
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse/test-elements/build-succeeds/element-deps b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse/test-elements/build-succeeds/element-deps
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d58b59ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/opensuse/test-elements/build-succeeds/element-deps
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+openstack-ci-mirrors
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/zypper-minimal/README.rst b/diskimage_builder/elements/zypper-minimal/README.rst
index 8fcda2ea8..eb4335225 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/zypper-minimal/README.rst
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/zypper-minimal/README.rst
@@ -6,14 +6,3 @@ Base element for creating minimal SUSE-based images
 This element is incomplete by itself so you probably want to use it along
 with the opensuse-minimal one. It requires 'zypper' to be installed on the
 host.
-
-Repositories
-------------
-
-This element expects the `ZYPPER_REPOS` variable to be exported by the
-operating system element. This variable contains repository mappings in 
-the following format: `${repo_name}==>${repo_url}`. For example::
-
- ZYPPER_REPOS="update=>http://download.opensuse.org/update/leap/42.2/oss/ "
- ZYPPER_REPOS+="oss=>http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/leap/42.2/repo/oss/"
- export ZYPPER_REPOS
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/zypper-minimal/root.d/08-zypper-chroot b/diskimage_builder/elements/zypper-minimal/root.d/08-zypper-chroot
index 38934d902..7d139eb09 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/zypper-minimal/root.d/08-zypper-chroot
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/zypper-minimal/root.d/08-zypper-chroot
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ fi
 set -eu
 set -o pipefail
 
-[ -n "${ZYPPER_REPOS}" ]
-
 function cleanup() {
     sudo umount $TARGET_ROOT/proc
     sudo umount $TARGET_ROOT/dev/pts
@@ -39,6 +37,30 @@ trap cleanup EXIT
 ZYPPER_TARGET_OPTS="--non-interactive --gpg-auto-import-keys --root $TARGET_ROOT"
 ZYPPER_INSTALL_OPTS="--no-recommends"
 
+DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR=${DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR:-http://download.opensuse.org}
+
+case ${DIB_RELEASE} in
+    # We are using "=>" as the assignment symbol since "@" "=" etc could be used in the URI itself.
+    # Remember, we can't export an array in bash so we use a string instead.
+    # Repo format: {name}=>{uri}
+    # Old openSUSE releases
+    13*)
+        ZYPPER_REPOS="update=>${DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR}/update/${DIB_RELEASE}/ "
+        ZYPPER_REPOS+="oss=>${DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR}/distribution/${DIB_RELEASE}/repo/oss/"
+        ;;
+    # New Leap releases
+    42*)
+        ZYPPER_REPOS="update=>${DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR}/update/leap/${DIB_RELEASE}/oss/ "
+        ZYPPER_REPOS+="oss=>${DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR}/distribution/leap/${DIB_RELEASE}/repo/oss/"
+        ;;
+    # Tumbleweed
+    tumbleweed)
+        ZYPPER_REPOS="update=>${DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR}/update/${DIB_RELEASE}/ "
+        ZYPPER_REPOS+="oss=>${DIB_DISTRIBUTION_MIRROR}/${DIB_RELEASE}/repo/oss/"
+        ;;
+    *) echo "Unsupported openSUSE release: ${DIB_RELEASE}"; exit 1 ;;
+esac
+
 for repo in ${ZYPPER_REPOS}; do
     reponame=repo-${repo%%=>*}
     repouri=${repo##*=>}