diff --git a/modules/openstack_project/manifests/server.pp b/modules/openstack_project/manifests/server.pp
index c5d001ceb3..0e6066199d 100644
--- a/modules/openstack_project/manifests/server.pp
+++ b/modules/openstack_project/manifests/server.pp
@@ -19,11 +19,6 @@ class openstack_project::server (
     include ::apt
   }
 
-  ###########################################################
-  # Manage  ntp
-
-  include '::ntp'
-
   ###########################################################
   # Process if ( $high_level_directive ) blocks
 
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base-server/defaults/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base-server/defaults/main.yaml
index 570a19838f..dbc13b26c3 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base-server/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base-server/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ base_packages:
   - at
   - git
   - lvm2
+  - ntp
   - openssh-server
   - parted
   - rsync
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base-server/tasks/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base-server/tasks/main.yaml
index 2ccbf01ca1..fd14067d1e 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base-server/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base-server/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@
     src: bash-history.sh
     dest: /etc/profile.d/bash-history.sh
 
+- name: Ensure NTP service is running
+  service:
+    name: "{{ ntp_service_name }}"
+    enabled: yes
+    state: started
+
 - name: Include OS-specific tasks
   include_tasks: "{{ lookup('first_found', file_list) }}"
   vars:
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/Debian.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/Debian.yaml
index 3df5c620b0..a66551d829 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/Debian.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/Debian.yaml
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ distro_packages:
   - vim-nox
 sftp_path: /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server
 ssh_service_name: ssh
+ntp_service_name: ntp
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/RedHat.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/RedHat.yaml
index b787d335bd..ce56b09ccf 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/RedHat.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/RedHat.yaml
@@ -11,3 +11,4 @@ distro_packages:
   - yum-cron
 sftp_path: /usr/libexec/openssh/sftp-server
 ssh_service_name: sshd
+ntp_service_name: ntpd
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/Ubuntu.trusty.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/Ubuntu.trusty.yaml
index b9c4325a2f..4083e0f933 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/Ubuntu.trusty.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base-server/vars/Ubuntu.trusty.yaml
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ distro_packages:
   - vim-nox
 sftp_path: /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server
 ssh_service_name: ssh
+ntp_service_name: ntp