diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 80f6cb58..bd4c036c 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -151,7 +151,9 @@ rabbitmq_disable_non_tls_listeners: False
 #     tags: "ha-sync-mode=automatic"
 #     priority: 0
 #
-rabbitmq_policies:
+rabbitmq_policies: []
+rabbitmq_apply_openstack_policies: False
+rabbitmq_openstack_policies:
   - name: "HA"
     pattern: '^(?!(amq\.)|(.*_fanout_)|(reply_)).*'
     tags: "ha-mode=all"
diff --git a/tasks/rabbitmq_post_install.yml b/tasks/rabbitmq_post_install.yml
index b1e3d0e4..a40d8fdf 100644
--- a/tasks/rabbitmq_post_install.yml
+++ b/tasks/rabbitmq_post_install.yml
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
     priority: "{{ item.priority | default(0) }}"
     tags: "{{ item.tags }}"
   register: rabbitmq_policy
-  with_items: "{{ rabbitmq_policies }}"
+  loop: "{{ (rabbitmq_apply_openstack_policies | bool) | ternary(rabbitmq_openstack_policies + rabbitmq_policies, rabbitmq_policies) }}"
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-config
     - rabbitmq-cluster
diff --git a/tests/rabbitmq_server-overrides.yml b/tests/rabbitmq_server-overrides.yml
index 3323a81f..09387684 100644
--- a/tests/rabbitmq_server-overrides.yml
+++ b/tests/rabbitmq_server-overrides.yml
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ rabbitmq_ssl_cert: /etc/rabbitmq/rabbitmq.pem
 rabbitmq_ssl_key: /etc/rabbitmq/rabbitmq.key
 
 rabbitmq_hipe_compile: True
+rabbitmq_apply_openstack_policies: True