diff --git a/playbooks/roles/zuul-executor/tasks/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/zuul-executor/tasks/main.yaml
index da0545f2a8..6063188665 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/zuul-executor/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/zuul-executor/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -74,6 +74,14 @@
       pip3 install --upgrade --upgrade-strategy=only-if-needed "ara<1.0.0"
     fi
 
+- name: Write key for talking to nodepool nodes
+  copy:
+    content: '{{ nodepool_test_node_ssh_private_key_contents }}'
+    dest: /var/lib/zuul/ssh/nodepool_id_rsa
+    mode: 0400
+    owner: zuul
+    group: zuul
+
 - name: Create Zuul Executor directories
   file:
     state: directory
diff --git a/playbooks/zuul/run-base.yaml b/playbooks/zuul/run-base.yaml
index 33d151befa..560835af08 100644
--- a/playbooks/zuul/run-base.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/zuul/run-base.yaml
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
         - group_vars/control-plane-clouds.yaml
         - group_vars/afs-client.yaml
         - group_vars/zuul.yaml
+        - group_vars/zuul-executor.yaml
         - group_vars/zuul-merger.yaml
         - group_vars/zuul-scheduler.yaml
         - group_vars/zuul-web.yaml
diff --git a/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/zuul-executor.yaml.j2 b/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/zuul-executor.yaml.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0bfb9160b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/zuul/templates/group_vars/zuul-executor.yaml.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+nodepool_test_node_ssh_private_key_contents: |
+  -----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
+  b3BlbnNzaC1rZXktdjEAAAAABG5vbmUAAAAEbm9uZQAAAAAAAAABAAABFwAAAAdzc2gtcn
+  NhAAAAAwEAAQAAAQEAvOe+uah8mdEF+/BQxDr3J6o0f5M7BS8L0kVy73SkOBuu/fJASlq+
+  NfKkJlfKWWP9CQBCgW74woIhjrfE9RZxIsxtPX0RXPmYGaEvYQezOxWAEANpxR98Upw4CW
+  CZdlZTUXgVTtFaiZE4REaRlbmCMN4DmlXHq+83X8UGI60IR6uG9CrrcCS93q08vZrAbrOg
+  6cYU2LY0tUkIaDJTIAieHsm7R+4iGpsrxktm3mFNSdJiyVPVw2rC80Ky/gJb2GrFG2pZRL
+  IbrkODsiOGLu4xs4iacK4AxmGjVZoscnL/XAEfj1KNhgRIPr21PfJ10ET2EWYHTLwoO8yD
+  OgOGI0IEGwAAA9iqH3otqh96LQAAAAdzc2gtcnNhAAABAQC85765qHyZ0QX78FDEOvcnqj
+  R/kzsFLwvSRXLvdKQ4G6798kBKWr418qQmV8pZY/0JAEKBbvjCgiGOt8T1FnEizG09fRFc
+  +ZgZoS9hB7M7FYAQA2nFH3xSnDgJYJl2VlNReBVO0VqJkThERpGVuYIw3gOaVcer7zdfxQ
+  YjrQhHq4b0KutwJL3erTy9msBus6DpxhTYtjS1SQhoMlMgCJ4eybtH7iIamyvGS2beYU1J
+  0mLJU9XDasLzQrL+AlvYasUballEshuuQ4OyI4Yu7jGziJpwrgDGYaNVmixycv9cAR+PUo
+  2GBEg+vbU98nXQRPYRZgdMvCg7zIM6A4YjQgQbAAAAAwEAAQAAAQBcPA782Y5VECEK3VCi
+  L2REAq/1Zm7X3hu4hF5VGq+gEaxEpAbOBzZ+YsXRTuYm9VI0FeNjDUr6tc0qwQGy5U1CP2
+  xLLIjQy7F/OhtHFhpmC95mczQuomvybgJSWc80X3v4+Ff3DvNU3goKFCa7Y0N1FsHNlnqS
+  sY9o/Gs9+htj2j4G5YJvLKGQgfuKSAQmjcqc550wJKP8n0JjlxI4KBlU9Blt4gOAzzgLOc
+  +DJupAhP4ZcNKmuNvjtq4bOBXj9rCJbMopex3m2P8UxlT83ogFtZnFN4N6pkmBDqPPAA7e
+  8dUSG75wI++5dQ/LS9Upz6MjtO7WAQxFUw1RZJ0pFmLZAAAAgQDgLoJmp5yGjqZ9QON/En
+  GWtpibIcbZeBVpVPmHNo01GqfnT9ohoOTd5ITqcZ1HqUXIzlr0+xHE5O5GGG9XlHh1nsiJ
+  dzLLaWeaEU+B3u+bHqbPCs23qybUDPSz+uVlsIXh0r0svKYUW3h9niMpp2Q1Kys0O8mGef
+  u3nCbBDkO8rQAAAIEA7PJ/o0xbEU7NdWouOuGahO96sxTyWFKQv0qWNftCoac2f0VymXjf
+  miSz0kIPxI8qpsVcRCs2TmUuKCg2AXNkBt0cYbi5ONj5MATb+buXx9keKr7ZbSiu4uQpPo
+  7L8eq7A6tTSj/YmTf4YyPa1HSZTT6Y80TDjnzffDApUn99Gn0AAACBAMwYUECXEBgoAKSs
+  t99hpCTwv5On/VVpS0pE1uCQXb89okWWDTcWLbWpKVjfgEziPxoqvrG4HSM+buYJ7zF9LK
+  kKs0kTPPsrkufb/VkksOGVP6WqcaHIfEbcTqxapjrBgLPhPQ9zDI5JSVziJkh4XGzmGNw6
+  2oaCng9UyII8j8R3AAAAH21vcmRyZWRATWFjQm9vay1BaXIubG9jYWxkb21haW4BAgM=
+  -----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----