diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 14a24d8a..f350dcdc 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -322,7 +322,6 @@ horizon_pip_packages:
   - greenlet
   - horizon
   - keystonemiddleware
-  - MySQL-python
   - PyMySQL
   - oslo.config
   - ply
diff --git a/templates/horizon-manage.py.j2 b/templates/horizon-manage.py.j2
index 53e328b4..f74c6216 100644
--- a/templates/horizon-manage.py.j2
+++ b/templates/horizon-manage.py.j2
@@ -13,8 +13,11 @@
 # under the License.
 
 import os
+import pymysql
 import sys
 
+pymysql.install_as_MySQLdb()
+
 from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line  # noqa
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/templates/horizon_django.wsgi.j2 b/templates/horizon_django.wsgi.j2
index b7fbe818..9766ba2e 100644
--- a/templates/horizon_django.wsgi.j2
+++ b/templates/horizon_django.wsgi.j2
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 import logging
 import os
+import pymysql
 import sys
 from django.core.wsgi import get_wsgi_application
 from django.conf import settings
 
+pymysql.install_as_MySQLdb()
+
 # Add this file path to sys.path in order to import settings
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), '../..')))
 os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = 'openstack_dashboard.settings'
diff --git a/templates/horizon_local_settings.py.j2 b/templates/horizon_local_settings.py.j2
index ae71ca74..87825379 100644
--- a/templates/horizon_local_settings.py.j2
+++ b/templates/horizon_local_settings.py.j2
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import pymysql
 
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 
@@ -7,6 +8,8 @@ from horizon.utils import secret_key
 from openstack_dashboard import exceptions
 from openstack_dashboard.settings import HORIZON_CONFIG
 
+pymysql.install_as_MySQLdb()
+
 DEBUG = {{ debug }}
 TEMPLATE_DEBUG = DEBUG
 
diff --git a/vars/debian.yml b/vars/debian.yml
index a890f2fe..e5d214c3 100644
--- a/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/vars/debian.yml
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ horizon_system_service_name: apache2
 
 horizon_devel_distro_packages:
   - git
-  - libmariadbclient-dev    # required to build MySQL-python
   - libssl-dev
   - libxslt1.1
   - openssl
@@ -31,7 +30,6 @@ horizon_distro_packages:
   - cron # required by the Ansible cron module
   - gettext
   - libapache2-mod-wsgi
-  - python-mysqldb # required by the Ansible mysql_db module
 
 horizon_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-dashboard
diff --git a/vars/redhat-7.yml b/vars/redhat-7.yml
index dcc93bf9..44b87ea2 100644
--- a/vars/redhat-7.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat-7.yml
@@ -29,9 +29,7 @@ horizon_distro_packages:
   - httpd-tools
   - mod_ssl
   - mod_wsgi
-  - MySQL-python
   - which
-  - MariaDB-devel           # required to build MySQL-python
 
 horizon_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-designate-ui
@@ -45,6 +43,7 @@ horizon_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-octavia-ui
   - python-django-horizon
   - python-memcached
+  - python-PyMySQL
 
 horizon_apache_conf: "/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf"
 horizon_apache_default_log_folder: "/var/log/httpd"
diff --git a/vars/suse-42.yml b/vars/suse.yml
similarity index 96%
rename from vars/suse-42.yml
rename to vars/suse.yml
index 71889e60..a4977e69 100644
--- a/vars/suse-42.yml
+++ b/vars/suse.yml
@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@ horizon_distro_packages:
   - cronie
   - cronie-anacron
   - gettext
-  - python-MySQL-python
   - which
-  - MariaDB-devel           # required to build MySQL-python
 
 horizon_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-horizon-plugin-designate-ui
@@ -46,6 +44,7 @@ horizon_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-horizon-plugin-trove-ui
   - python-horizon
   - python-memcached
+  - python-PyMySQL
 
 # SUSE does not currently have packages for the following dashboards
 horizon_enable_heat_ui: False