diff --git a/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/gerrit.config.j2 b/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/gerrit.config.j2
index cecf699485..cbebbaf71c 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/gerrit.config.j2
+++ b/playbooks/roles/gerrit/templates/gerrit.config.j2
@@ -144,17 +144,17 @@
 	allowTopMenu = false
 # Custom code browser linking for Gitea.
 [gitweb]
-	branch = "${project}/src/branch/${branch}"
-	file = "${project}/src/commit/${hash}/${file}"
-	filehistory = "${project}/commits/branch/${branch}/${file}"
+	branch = ${project}/src/branch/${branch}
+	file = ${project}/src/commit/${hash}/${file}
+	filehistory = ${project}/commits/branch/${branch}/${file}
 	linkname = gitea
-	project = "${project}"
-	revision = "${project}/commit/${commit}"
-	roottree = "${project}/src/commit/${commit}"
+	project = ${project}
+	revision = ${project}/commit/${commit}
+	roottree = ${project}/src/commit/${commit}
 	type = custom
 	urlEncode = false
-	tag = "${project}/src/tag/${tag}"
-	url = "https://opendev.org/"
+	tag = ${project}/src/tag/${tag}
+	url = https://opendev.org/
 [index]
 	type = LUCENE
 	threads = 8
diff --git a/playbooks/zuul/upgrade-review.yaml b/playbooks/zuul/upgrade-review.yaml
index 8db3a2f375..08f111807e 100644
--- a/playbooks/zuul/upgrade-review.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/zuul/upgrade-review.yaml
@@ -4,7 +4,35 @@
 #
 # In particular it bootstraps users and test changes assuming a test env.
 
-- name: Ensure initial gerrit state
+- name: Ensure initial gerrit state without starting Gerrit
+  import_playbook: ../service-review.yaml
+  vars:
+    gerrit_container_image: docker.io/opendevorg/gerrit:3.6
+    gerrit_run_init: false
+    gerrit_run_reindex: false
+    gerrit_run_compose_up: false
+
+- hosts: "review:!disabled"
+  name: "Record pre Gerrit deployment configuration state"
+  tasks:
+    # This allows us to check that our config file isn't modified by newer
+    # Gerrit versions.
+    - name: Backup config files pre deploy
+      block:
+        - name: Find .config files
+          find:
+            paths: /home/gerrit2/review_site/etc
+            patterns: '*.config'
+          register: _config_files_pre_deploy
+
+        - name: 'Backup config file'
+          copy:
+            src: '{{ item }}'
+            dest: '{{ item }}.pre-deploy'
+            remote_src: true
+          loop: "{{ _config_files_pre_deploy.files | map(attribute='path') | list }}"
+
+- name: Start Gerrit on the old version of Gerrit
   import_playbook: ../service-review.yaml
   vars:
     gerrit_container_image: docker.io/opendevorg/gerrit:3.6
@@ -30,20 +58,20 @@
 
     # This allows us to check that our config file isn't modified by newer
     # Gerrit versions.
-    - name: Backup config files
+    - name: Backup config files pre upgrade
       block:
         - name: Find .config files
           find:
             paths: /home/gerrit2/review_site/etc
             patterns: '*.config'
-          register: _config_files
+          register: _config_files_pre_upgrade
 
         - name: 'Backup config file'
           copy:
             src: '{{ item }}'
             dest: '{{ item }}.pre-upgrade'
             remote_src: true
-          loop: "{{ _config_files.files | map(attribute='path') | list }}"
+          loop: "{{ _config_files_pre_upgrade.files | map(attribute='path') | list }}"
 
     # Record h2 cache files. We will use this to highlight any new caches
     # under the new Gerrit version.
@@ -64,17 +92,35 @@
 - hosts: "review:!disabled"
   name: "Post upgrade config check"
   tasks:
-    - name: Diff config files
+    - name: Diff config files pre deploy to pre upgrade
       shell: |
-          diff -u {{ item }}.pre-upgrade {{ item }} | tee {{ item }}.diff
-      loop: "{{ _config_files.files | map(attribute='path') | list }}"
-      register: _diff_output
+        set -o pipefail
+        diff -u {{ item }}.pre-deploy {{ item }}.pre-upgrade | tee {{ item }}.deploy.diff
+      args:
+        executable: /bin/bash
+      loop: "{{ _config_files_pre_upgrade.files | map(attribute='path') | list }}"
+      register: _diff_output_deploy
 
-    - name: Check config diffs
+    - name: Diff config files pre upgrade to post upgrade
+      shell: |
+        set -o pipefail
+        diff -u {{ item }}.pre-upgrade {{ item }} | tee {{ item }}.upgrade.diff
+      args:
+        executable: /bin/bash
+      loop: "{{ _config_files_pre_upgrade.files | map(attribute='path') | list }}"
+      register: _diff_output_upgrade
+
+    - name: Check the config diffs after deployment
       fail:
         msg: 'Difference detected in file {{ item.item }} '
       when: item.rc != 0
-      loop: '{{ _diff_output.results }}'
+      loop: '{{ _diff_output_deploy.results }}'
+
+    - name: Check the config diffs after upgrade
+      fail:
+        msg: 'Difference detected in file {{ item.item }} '
+      when: item.rc != 0
+      loop: '{{ _diff_output_upgrade.results }}'
 
     - name: Record Gerrit new cache files
       find: