diff --git a/tools/tox_install.sh b/tools/tox_install.sh
index ba12396f6..a12b0e128 100755
--- a/tools/tox_install.sh
+++ b/tools/tox_install.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 # Many of neutron's repos suffer from the problem of depending on neutron,
 # but it not existing on pypi.
@@ -12,15 +12,10 @@
 # install_command=ARGV
 # default:
 # pip install {opts} {packages}
-
-ZUUL_CLONER=/usr/zuul-env/bin/zuul-cloner
-neutron_installed=$(echo "import neutron" | python 2>/dev/null ; echo $?)
-BRANCH_NAME=master
-
 set -ex
 
-cwd=$(/bin/pwd)
-
+DIR=$(dirname $0)
+${DIR}/tox_install_project.sh neutron neutron $*
 CONSTRAINTS_FILE=$1
 shift
 
@@ -29,25 +24,5 @@ if [ $CONSTRAINTS_FILE != "unconstrained" ]; then
     install_cmd="$install_cmd -c$CONSTRAINTS_FILE"
 fi
 
-if [ $neutron_installed -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "ALREADY INSTALLED" > /tmp/tox_install.txt
-    echo "Neutron already installed; using existing package"
-elif [ -x "$ZUUL_CLONER" ]; then
-    echo "ZUUL CLONER" > /tmp/tox_install.txt
-    cd /tmp
-    export ZUUL_BRANCH=${ZUUL_BRANCH-$BRANCH}
-    $ZUUL_CLONER --cache-dir \
-        /opt/git \
-        --branch $BRANCH_NAME \
-        git://git.openstack.org \
-        openstack/neutron
-    cd openstack/neutron
-    $install_cmd -e .
-    cd "$cwd"
-else
-    echo "PIP HARDCODE" > /tmp/tox_install.txt
-    $install_cmd -U -egit+https://git.openstack.org/openstack/neutron@$BRANCH_NAME#egg=neutron
-fi
-
 $install_cmd -U $*
 exit $?
diff --git a/tools/tox_install_project.sh b/tools/tox_install_project.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..02ac6e10e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/tox_install_project.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Many of neutron's repos suffer from the problem of depending on neutron,
+# but it not existing on pypi.
+
+# This wrapper for tox's package installer will use
+# the local tree in home directory if exists,
+# else the existing package if it exists,
+# else use zuul-cloner if that program exists,
+# else grab it from project master via https://git.openstack.org/openstack,
+# That last case should only happen with devs running unit tests locally.
+
+# From the tox.ini config page:
+# install_command=ARGV
+# default:
+# pip install {opts} {packages}
+
+PROJ=$1
+MOD=$2
+shift 2
+
+ZUUL_CLONER=/usr/zuul-env/bin/zuul-cloner
+proj_installed=$(echo "import ${MOD}" | python 2>/dev/null ; echo $?)
+BRANCH_NAME=master
+
+set -e
+set -x
+
+CONSTRAINTS_FILE=$1
+shift
+
+install_cmd="pip install"
+if [ $CONSTRAINTS_FILE != "unconstrained" ]; then
+    install_cmd="$install_cmd -c$CONSTRAINTS_FILE"
+fi
+
+if [ $proj_installed -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "ALREADY INSTALLED" > /tmp/tox_install-${PROJ}.txt
+    location=$(python -c "import ${MOD}; print(${MOD}.__file__)")
+    echo "ALREADY INSTALLED at $location"
+
+    echo "${PROJ} already installed; using existing package"
+elif [ -x "$ZUUL_CLONER" ]; then
+    echo "ZUUL CLONER" > /tmp/tox_install-${PROJ}.txt
+    # Make this relative to current working directory so that
+    # git clean can remove it. We cannot remove the directory directly
+    # since it is referenced after $install_cmd -e.
+    mkdir -p .tmp
+    PROJECT_DIR=$(/bin/mktemp -d -p $(pwd)/.tmp)
+    pushd $PROJECT_DIR
+    $ZUUL_CLONER --cache-dir \
+        /opt/git \
+        --branch ${BRANCH_NAME} \
+        git://git.openstack.org \
+        openstack/${PROJ}
+    cd openstack/${PROJ}
+    $install_cmd -e .
+    popd
+else
+    echo "PIP HARDCODE" > /tmp/tox_install-${PROJ}.txt
+    $install_cmd -U -egit+https://git.openstack.org/openstack/${PROJ}@${BRANCH_NAME}#egg=${PROJ}
+fi