diff --git a/devstack/lib/ironic b/devstack/lib/ironic
index dc02833e64..41a2658bc5 100644
--- a/devstack/lib/ironic
+++ b/devstack/lib/ironic
@@ -2522,6 +2522,7 @@ function ironic_configure_tempest {
     iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG baremetal enabled_bios_interfaces $IRONIC_ENABLED_BIOS_INTERFACES
     iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG baremetal enabled_deploy_interfaces $IRONIC_ENABLED_DEPLOY_INTERFACES
     iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG baremetal enabled_rescue_interfaces $IRONIC_ENABLED_RESCUE_INTERFACES
+    iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG baremetal default_rescue_interface $IRONIC_DEFAULT_RESCUE_INTERFACE
     # Driver for API tests
     iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG baremetal driver fake-hardware
 
diff --git a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-partition-pxe_ipmitool-tinyipa-python3/run.yaml b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-partition-pxe_ipmitool-tinyipa-python3/run.yaml
index 4cee15c91b..6e41abe734 100644
--- a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-partition-pxe_ipmitool-tinyipa-python3/run.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-partition-pxe_ipmitool-tinyipa-python3/run.yaml
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=1
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_IRONIC_DRIVER=ipmi
           export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_DEPLOY_INTERFACE=iscsi"
+          export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_RESCUE_INTERFACE=agent"
           export BRANCH_OVERRIDE="{{ zuul.override_checkout | default('default') }}"
           if [ "$BRANCH_OVERRIDE" != "default" ] ; then
               export OVERRIDE_ZUUL_BRANCH=$BRANCH_OVERRIDE
diff --git a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-partition-uefi-pxe_ipmitool-tinyipa/run.yaml b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-partition-uefi-pxe_ipmitool-tinyipa/run.yaml
index 513f034b4d..23146b1f30 100644
--- a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-partition-uefi-pxe_ipmitool-tinyipa/run.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-partition-uefi-pxe_ipmitool-tinyipa/run.yaml
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=1
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_IRONIC_DRIVER=ipmi
           export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_DEPLOY_INTERFACE=iscsi"
+          export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_RESCUE_INTERFACE=agent"
           export BRANCH_OVERRIDE="{{ zuul.override_checkout | default('default') }}"
           if [ "$BRANCH_OVERRIDE" != "default" ] ; then
               export OVERRIDE_ZUUL_BRANCH=$BRANCH_OVERRIDE
diff --git a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-agent_ipmitool-tinyipa-multinode/run.yaml b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-agent_ipmitool-tinyipa-multinode/run.yaml
index 7e1c67bbf7..5c2d71e0d9 100644
--- a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-agent_ipmitool-tinyipa-multinode/run.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-agent_ipmitool-tinyipa-multinode/run.yaml
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=1
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_IRONIC_DRIVER=ipmi
           export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_DEPLOY_INTERFACE=direct"
+          export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_RESCUE_INTERFACE=agent"
           export BRANCH_OVERRIDE="{{ zuul.override_checkout | default('default') }}"
           if [ "$BRANCH_OVERRIDE" != "default" ] ; then
               export OVERRIDE_ZUUL_BRANCH=$BRANCH_OVERRIDE
diff --git a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-bios-agent_ipmitool-tinyipa/run.yaml b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-bios-agent_ipmitool-tinyipa/run.yaml
index 5da385c85f..d8f5f561f1 100644
--- a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-bios-agent_ipmitool-tinyipa/run.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-bios-agent_ipmitool-tinyipa/run.yaml
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=1
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_IRONIC_DRIVER=ipmi
           export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_DEPLOY_INTERFACE=direct"
+          export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_RESCUE_INTERFACE=agent"
           export BRANCH_OVERRIDE="{{ zuul.override_checkout | default('default') }}"
           if [ "$BRANCH_OVERRIDE" != "default" ] ; then
               export OVERRIDE_ZUUL_BRANCH=$BRANCH_OVERRIDE
diff --git a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-bios-pxe_snmp-tinyipa/run.yaml b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-bios-pxe_snmp-tinyipa/run.yaml
index 3a807bc5af..8833f8fadf 100644
--- a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-bios-pxe_snmp-tinyipa/run.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-ipa-wholedisk-bios-pxe_snmp-tinyipa/run.yaml
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=1
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_IRONIC_DRIVER=snmp
           export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_DEPLOY_INTERFACE=iscsi"
+          export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_RESCUE_INTERFACE=agent"
           export BRANCH_OVERRIDE="{{ zuul.override_checkout | default('default') }}"
           if [ "$BRANCH_OVERRIDE" != "default" ] ; then
               export OVERRIDE_ZUUL_BRANCH=$BRANCH_OVERRIDE
diff --git a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-pxe_ipa-full/run.yaml b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-pxe_ipa-full/run.yaml
index 607d94d6d8..82722a0c69 100644
--- a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-pxe_ipa-full/run.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-pxe_ipa-full/run.yaml
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=1
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_IRONIC_DRIVER=ipmi
           export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_DEPLOY_INTERFACE=iscsi"
+          export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_RESCUE_INTERFACE=agent"
           export BRANCH_OVERRIDE="{{ zuul.override_checkout | default('default') }}"
           if [ "$BRANCH_OVERRIDE" != "default" ] ; then
               export OVERRIDE_ZUUL_BRANCH=$BRANCH_OVERRIDE
diff --git a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-pxe_ipmitool-postgres/run.yaml b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-pxe_ipmitool-postgres/run.yaml
index e46c66bacf..21a4ff90c3 100644
--- a/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-pxe_ipmitool-postgres/run.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/legacy/tempest-dsvm-ironic-pxe_ipmitool-postgres/run.yaml
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=1
           export DEVSTACK_GATE_IRONIC_DRIVER=ipmi
           export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_DEPLOY_INTERFACE=iscsi"
+          export DEVSTACK_LOCAL_CONFIG+=$'\n'"IRONIC_DEFAULT_RESCUE_INTERFACE=agent"
           export BRANCH_OVERRIDE="{{ zuul.override_checkout | default('default') }}"
           if [ "$BRANCH_OVERRIDE" != "default" ] ; then
               export OVERRIDE_ZUUL_BRANCH=$BRANCH_OVERRIDE
diff --git a/zuul.d/ironic-jobs.yaml b/zuul.d/ironic-jobs.yaml
index 12d51648c8..763b0bea8a 100644
--- a/zuul.d/ironic-jobs.yaml
+++ b/zuul.d/ironic-jobs.yaml
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
         IRONIC_VM_EPHEMERAL_DISK: 1
         IRONIC_VM_LOG_DIR: '{{ devstack_base_dir }}/ironic-bm-logs'
         IRONIC_VM_SPECS_RAM: 384
+        IRONIC_DEFAULT_RESCUE_INTERFACE: agent
 
         Q_AGENT: openvswitch
         Q_ML2_TENANT_NETWORK_TYPE: vxlan