diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 8d0dc542..7193b71b 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ global_environment_variables: {}
 # Set the default mode for the /etc/cron.d/sysstat file
 openstack_host_sysstat_cron_mode: '0755'
 
+# Distribution packages required for using pip on the host
+openstack_host_pip_packages: "{{ _openstack_host_pip_packages | default([]) }}"
+
 ## Default repositories data
 # Set default mirror for CentOS repositories
 # NOTE(mhayden): Ensure that the full path to the 'centos' directory is used.
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/use-pip-distro-packages-2505f6e630a94850.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/use-pip-distro-packages-2505f6e630a94850.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..92099e07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/use-pip-distro-packages-2505f6e630a94850.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Supported openSUSE and Ubuntu hosts ship with new enough pip,
+    setuptools, virtualenv and wheel packages which are now being
+    used in favor of the PIP ones.
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index d2c769c8..964bab06 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -72,9 +72,20 @@
 - name: Run the pip install role
   include_role:
     name: pip_install
+  when: not openstack_host_use_distro_pip
   tags:
     - openstack_hosts-install
 
+- name: Install PIP distribution packages
+  package:
+    name: "{{ openstack_host_pip_packages }}"
+    state: "{{ openstack_hosts_package_state }}"
+  when: openstack_host_use_distro_pip
+  register: install_packages
+  until: install_packages | success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+
 - include_tasks: openstack_authorized_keys.yml
   tags:
     - openstack_hosts-config
diff --git a/vars/redhat-7.yml b/vars/redhat-7.yml
index f0cce8da..4eaabde9 100644
--- a/vars/redhat-7.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat-7.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ openstack_host_module_file: /etc/modules-load.d/openstack-ansible.conf
 
 openstack_host_sysstat_cron_mode: '0600'
 
+openstack_host_use_distro_pip: false
+
 ## Kernel modules loaded on hosts
 openstack_host_kernel_modules:
   - name: 8021q
diff --git a/vars/suse-42.yml b/vars/suse-42.yml
index 31d4b5d7..db4f1599 100644
--- a/vars/suse-42.yml
+++ b/vars/suse-42.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@ openstack_host_module_file: /etc/modules-load.d/openstack-ansible.conf
 
 openstack_host_sysstat_cron_mode: '0644'
 
+openstack_host_use_distro_pip: true
+_openstack_host_pip_packages:
+  - python-pip
+  - python-setuptools
+  - python-virtualenv
+  - python-wheel
+
 ## Kernel modules loaded on hosts
 openstack_host_kernel_modules:
   - name: 8021q
diff --git a/vars/ubuntu-16.04.yml b/vars/ubuntu-16.04.yml
index 076965aa..bb0869a3 100644
--- a/vars/ubuntu-16.04.yml
+++ b/vars/ubuntu-16.04.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,17 @@
 ## APT Cache Options
 cache_timeout: 600
 
+openstack_host_use_distro_pip: true
+_openstack_host_pip_packages:
+  - python-pip
+  - python3-pip
+  - python-setuptools
+  - python3-setuptools
+  - python-virtualenv
+  - python3-virtualenv
+  - python-wheel
+  - python3-wheel
+
 ## Defined required kernel
 openstack_host_required_kernel: 4.4.0-0-generic
 openstack_host_sysstat_file: /etc/default/sysstat