diff --git a/devstack/lib/ironic b/devstack/lib/ironic
index 06dfd75d25..707f3b5845 100644
--- a/devstack/lib/ironic
+++ b/devstack/lib/ironic
@@ -1279,6 +1279,9 @@ function configure_ironic_conductor {
                 # we definitely know the default username to use for TinyIPA image
                 IRONIC_ANSIBLE_SSH_USER='tc'
             fi
+            # (rpittau) most recent tinyipa uses python3 natively so we need to change
+            # the default ansible python interpreter.
+            iniset $IRONIC_CONF_FILE ansible default_python_interpreter /usr/bin/python3
         fi
         iniset $IRONIC_CONF_FILE ansible default_key_file $IRONIC_ANSIBLE_SSH_KEY
         if [[ -n $IRONIC_ANSIBLE_SSH_USER ]]; then
diff --git a/ironic/conf/ansible.py b/ironic/conf/ansible.py
index 97869460c4..bcabb1b963 100644
--- a/ironic/conf/ansible.py
+++ b/ironic/conf/ansible.py
@@ -134,6 +134,10 @@ opts = [
                       "It may be overridden by per-node "
                       "'ansible_clean_steps_config' option in node's "
                       "'driver_info' field.")),
+    cfg.StrOpt('default_python_interpreter',
+               help=_("Absolute path to the python interpreter on the "
+                      "managed machines. By default, ansible uses "
+                      "/usr/bin/python")),
 ]
 
 
diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/ansible/deploy.py b/ironic/drivers/modules/ansible/deploy.py
index a5b28cd776..17d7174520 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/ansible/deploy.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/ansible/deploy.py
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ def _run_playbook(node, name, extra_vars, key, tags=None, notags=None):
     playbook = os.path.join(root, name)
     inventory = os.path.join(root, 'inventory')
     ironic_vars = {'ironic': extra_vars}
+    if CONF.ansible.default_python_interpreter:
+        ironic_vars['ansible_python_interpreter'] = (
+            CONF.ansible.default_python_interpreter)
     args = [CONF.ansible.ansible_playbook_script, playbook,
             '-i', inventory,
             '-e', json.dumps(ironic_vars),
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/ansible/test_deploy.py b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/ansible/test_deploy.py
index 69237b312a..1391bcc5ec 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/ansible/test_deploy.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/ansible/test_deploy.py
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import json
+
 from ironic_lib import utils as irlib_utils
 import mock
 from oslo_concurrency import processutils
@@ -162,6 +164,33 @@ class TestAnsibleMethods(AnsibleDeployTestCaseBase):
             '/path/to/playbooks/inventory', '-e', '{"ironic": {"foo": "bar"}}',
             '--private-key=/path/to/key', '-vvvv')
 
+    @mock.patch.object(com_utils, 'execute', return_value=('out', 'err'),
+                       autospec=True)
+    def test__run_playbook_ansible_interpreter_python3(self, execute_mock):
+        self.config(group='ansible', playbooks_path='/path/to/playbooks')
+        self.config(group='ansible', config_file_path='/path/to/config')
+        self.config(group='ansible', verbosity=3)
+        self.config(group='ansible',
+                    default_python_interpreter='/usr/bin/python3')
+        self.config(group='ansible', ansible_extra_args='--timeout=100')
+        extra_vars = {'foo': 'bar'}
+
+        ansible_deploy._run_playbook(self.node, 'deploy',
+                                     extra_vars, '/path/to/key',
+                                     tags=['spam'], notags=['ham'])
+
+        execute_mock.assert_called_once_with(
+            'env', 'ANSIBLE_CONFIG=/path/to/config',
+            'ansible-playbook', '/path/to/playbooks/deploy', '-i',
+            '/path/to/playbooks/inventory', '-e',
+            mock.ANY, '--tags=spam', '--skip-tags=ham',
+            '--private-key=/path/to/key', '-vvv', '--timeout=100')
+
+        all_vars = execute_mock.call_args[0][7]
+        self.assertEqual({"ansible_python_interpreter": "/usr/bin/python3",
+                          "ironic": {"foo": "bar"}},
+                         json.loads(all_vars))
+
     @mock.patch.object(com_utils, 'execute',
                        side_effect=processutils.ProcessExecutionError(
                            description='VIKINGS!'),
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/add-ansible-python-interpreter-2035e0f23d407aaf.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/add-ansible-python-interpreter-2035e0f23d407aaf.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9981967598
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/add-ansible-python-interpreter-2035e0f23d407aaf.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+features:
+  - Adds option ``[ansible]default_python_interpreter`` to choose
+    the python interpreter that ansible uses on managed machines.
+    By default, ansible uses ``/usr/bin/python`` as interpreter, making the
+    assumption that that path is always present on remote managed systems.
+    This might not be always the case, for example in custom build
+    images or Python 3 native distributions.
+    With this option the operator has the ability to set the absolute
+    path of the python interpreter on the remote machines, for example
+    ``/usr/bin/python3``.
+    The same interpreter will be used in all operations that use the
+    ansible deploy interface.
diff --git a/zuul.d/project.yaml b/zuul.d/project.yaml
index 2932855fee..0c89d48d17 100644
--- a/zuul.d/project.yaml
+++ b/zuul.d/project.yaml
@@ -11,10 +11,7 @@
     check:
       jobs:
         - ironic-tox-unit-with-driver-libs
-        # making ironic-standalone non voting until we can run ansible
-        # with python3 interpreter on remote machines
-        - ironic-standalone:
-            voting: false
+        - ironic-standalone
         - ironic-tempest-functional-python2
         - ironic-tempest-functional-python3
         - ironic-grenade-dsvm
@@ -40,9 +37,7 @@
       queue: ironic
       jobs:
         - ironic-tox-unit-with-driver-libs
-        # removing ironic-standalone from gate until we can run ansible
-        # with python3 interpreter on remote machines
-        # - ironic-standalone
+        - ironic-standalone
         - ironic-tempest-functional-python2
         - ironic-tempest-functional-python3
         - ironic-grenade-dsvm