diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/all.yml b/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
index 911dc5e68b..9562236eb1 100644
--- a/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/all.yml
@@ -244,13 +244,15 @@ kibana_user: "kibana"
 
 
 #################################
-# Cinder - Block Storage options
+# Cinder options
 #################################
-cinder_volume_driver: "{{ 'ceph' if enable_ceph | bool else 'lvm' }}"
-cinder_volume_group: "{{ 'cinder-volumes' if enable_iscsi | bool else '' }}"
-cinder_volume_backend_name: "{{ 'cinder-volumes' if enable_iscsi | bool else '' }}"
-cinder_iscsi_helper: "{{ 'tgtadm' if enable_iscsi | bool else '' }}"
-cinder_iscsi_protocol: "{{ 'iscsi' if enable_iscsi | bool else '' }}"
+cinder_backend_iscsi: "{{ enable_iscsi }}"
+cinder_backend_ceph: "{{ enable_ceph }}"
+cinder_volume_driver: "{{ 'lvm' if cinder_backend_iscsi }}"
+cinder_volume_group: "{{ 'cinder-volumes' if cinder_backend_iscsi | bool else '' }}"
+cinder_volume_backend_name: "{{ 'cinder-volumes' if cinder_backend_iscsi | bool else '' }}"
+cinder_iscsi_helper: "{{ 'tgtadm' if cinder_backend_iscsi | bool else '' }}"
+cinder_iscsi_protocol: "{{ 'iscsi' if cinder_backend_iscsi | bool else '' }}"
 
 ###################
 # Ceph options
diff --git a/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/bootstrap.yml b/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/bootstrap.yml
index 7762f2892b..4080018b3b 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/bootstrap.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/bootstrap.yml
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@
     action: "create_volume"
     common_options: "{{ docker_common_options }}"
     name: "cinder"
-  when: "{{ enable_iscsi | bool }}"
+  when: "{{ cinder_backend_iscsi | bool }}"
 
 - name: Creating iscsi info volume
   kolla_docker:
     action: "create_volume"
     common_options: "{{ docker_common_options }}"
     name: "iscsi_info"
-  when: "{{ enable_iscsi | bool }}"
+  when: "{{ cinder_backend_iscsi | bool }}"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/deploy.yml b/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/deploy.yml
index e9502bee2c..b01e2efae8 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/deploy.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/deploy.yml
@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
 ---
 - include: ceph.yml
   when:
-    - enable_ceph | bool
+    - (enable_ceph | bool) and (cinder_backend_ceph | bool)
     - inventory_hostname in groups['ceph-mon'] or
         inventory_hostname in groups['cinder-api'] or
         inventory_hostname in groups['cinder-volume'] or
         inventory_hostname in groups['cinder-scheduler'] or
         inventory_hostname in groups['cinder-backup']
 
+- include: external_ceph.yml
+  when:
+    - (enable_ceph | bool == False) and (cinder_backend_ceph | bool)
+    - inventory_hostname in groups['cinder-volume'] or
+      inventory_hostname in groups['cinder-backup']
+
 - include: register.yml
   when: inventory_hostname in groups['cinder-api']
 
diff --git a/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/external_ceph.yml b/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/external_ceph.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..45fe480ee5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/external_ceph.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+---
+- name: Ensuring config directory exists
+  file:
+    path: "{{ node_config_directory }}/cinder-{{ item }}"
+    state: "directory"
+  when: inventory_hostname in groups['cinder-volume'] or
+        inventory_hostname in groups['cinder-backup']
+  with_items:
+    - volume
+    - backup
+
+- name: Copying over ceph.conf for Cinder
+  merge_configs:
+    vars:
+      service_name: "{{ item }}"
+    sources:
+      - "{{ node_custom_config }}/cinder/ceph.conf"
+      - "{{ node_custom_config }}/cinder/{{ item }}/ceph.conf"
+    dest: "{{ node_config_directory }}/{{ item }}/ceph.conf"
+  with_items:
+    - "cinder-backup"
+    - "cinder-volume"
+
+- name: Copy over Ceph keyring files for cinder-volume
+  copy:
+    src: "{{ item }}"
+    dest: "{{ node_config_directory }}/cinder-volume/"
+  with_fileglob:
+    - "{{ node_custom_config }}/cinder/cinder-volume/ceph.client*"
+
+- name: Copy over Ceph keyring files for cinder-backup
+  copy:
+    src: "{{ item }}"
+    dest: "{{ node_config_directory }}/cinder-backup/"
+  with_fileglob:
+    - "{{ node_custom_config }}/cinder/cinder-volume/ceph.client*"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/start.yml b/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/start.yml
index 7f433646f9..0047d0bba2 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/start.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/cinder/tasks/start.yml
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
       - "/etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro"
       - "/dev/:/dev/"
       - "/run/:/run/"
-      - "{% if enable_iscsi | bool %}cinder:/var/lib/cinder{% endif %}"
-      - "{% if enable_iscsi | bool %}iscsi_info:/etc/iscsi{% endif %}"
+      - "{% if cinder_backend_iscsi | bool %}cinder:/var/lib/cinder{% endif %}"
+      - "{% if cinder_backend_iscsi | bool %}iscsi_info:/etc/iscsi{% endif %}"
       - "kolla_logs:/var/log/kolla/"
 
 - name: Starting cinder-volume container
diff --git a/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder-backup.json.j2 b/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder-backup.json.j2
index 33929eca44..fefb9d9c55 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder-backup.json.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder-backup.json.j2
@@ -6,27 +6,13 @@
             "dest": "/etc/cinder/cinder.conf",
             "owner": "cinder",
             "perm": "0600"
-        },
+        }{% if cinder_backend_ceph | bool %},
         {
-            "source": "{{ container_config_directory }}/ceph.client.cinder-backup.keyring",
-            "dest": "/etc/ceph/ceph.client.cinder-backup.keyring",
+            "source": "{{ container_config_directory }}/ceph.*",
+            "dest": "/etc/ceph/",
             "owner": "cinder",
-            "perm": "0600",
-            "optional": {{ (not enable_ceph | bool) | string | lower }}
-        },
-        {
-            "source": "{{ container_config_directory }}/ceph.client.cinder.keyring",
-            "dest": "/etc/ceph/ceph.client.cinder.keyring",
-            "owner": "cinder",
-            "perm": "0600",
-            "optional": {{ (not enable_ceph | bool) | string | lower }}
-        },
-        {
-            "source": "{{ container_config_directory }}/ceph.conf",
-            "dest": "/etc/ceph/ceph.conf",
-            "owner": "cinder",
-            "perm": "0600",
-            "optional": {{ (not enable_ceph | bool) | string | lower }}
-        }
+            "perm": "0700",
+            "optional": {{ (not cinder_backend_ceph | bool) | string | lower }}
+        }{% endif %}
     ]
 }
diff --git a/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder-volume.json.j2 b/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder-volume.json.j2
index 5495284109..e82912ad03 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder-volume.json.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder-volume.json.j2
@@ -6,20 +6,18 @@
             "dest": "/etc/cinder/cinder.conf",
             "owner": "cinder",
             "perm": "0600"
-        },
+        }{% if cinder_backend_ceph | bool %},
         {
-            "source": "{{ container_config_directory }}/ceph.client.cinder.keyring",
-            "dest": "/etc/ceph/ceph.client.cinder.keyring",
+            "source": "{{ container_config_directory }}/ceph.*",
+            "dest": "/etc/ceph/",
             "owner": "cinder",
-            "perm": "0600",
-            "optional": {{ (not enable_ceph | bool) | string | lower }}
+            "perm": "0700"
         },
         {
             "source": "{{ container_config_directory }}/ceph.conf",
             "dest": "/etc/ceph/ceph.conf",
             "owner": "cinder",
-            "perm": "0600",
-            "optional": {{ (not enable_ceph | bool) | string | lower }}
-        }
+            "perm": "0600"
+        }{% endif %}
     ]
 }
diff --git a/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder.conf.j2 b/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder.conf.j2
index 86f7375a34..642225ebdd 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder.conf.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/cinder/templates/cinder.conf.j2
@@ -16,14 +16,14 @@ glance_api_version = 2
 
 os_region_name = {{ openstack_region_name }}
 
-{% if cinder_volume_driver == "lvm" %}
-enabled_backends = {{ cinder_volume_backend_name }}
-{% elif cinder_volume_driver == "ceph" %}
+{% if enable_ceph | bool and cinder_backend_ceph | bool %}
 default_volume_type = rbd-1
 enabled_backends = rbd-1
+{% elif cinder_backend_iscsi | bool %}
+enabled_backends = {{ cinder_volume_backend_name }}
 {% endif %}
 
-{% if service_name == "cinder-backup" and cinder_volume_driver == "ceph" %}
+{% if service_name == "cinder-backup" and enable_ceph | bool and cinder_backend_ceph | bool %}
 backup_driver = cinder.backup.drivers.ceph
 backup_ceph_conf = /etc/ceph/ceph.conf
 backup_ceph_user = cinder-backup
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ rabbit_ha_queues = true
 rabbit_hosts = {% for host in groups['rabbitmq'] %}{{ hostvars[host]['ansible_' + hostvars[host]['api_interface']]['ipv4']['address'] }}:{{ rabbitmq_port }}{% if not loop.last %},{% endif %}{% endfor %}
 
 
-{% if cinder_volume_driver == "lvm" %}
+{% if cinder_backend_iscsi | bool %}
 [{{ cinder_volume_backend_name }}]
 volume_group = {{ cinder_volume_group }}
 volume_driver = cinder.volume.drivers.lvm.LVMVolumeDriver
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@ volume_backend_name = {{ cinder_volume_backend_name }}
 iscsi_ip_address = {{ hostvars[groups['tgtd'][0]]['ansible_' + hostvars[groups['tgtd'][0]]['storage_interface']]['ipv4']['address'] }}
 iscsi_helper = {{ cinder_iscsi_helper }}
 iscsi_protocol = {{ cinder_iscsi_protocol }}
-{% elif cinder_volume_driver == "ceph" %}
+
+{% elif enable_ceph | bool and cinder_backend_ceph | bool %}
 [rbd-1]
 volume_driver = cinder.volume.drivers.rbd.RBDDriver
 rbd_pool = {{ ceph_cinder_pool_name }}
diff --git a/doc/external-ceph-guide.rst b/doc/external-ceph-guide.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2309191631
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/external-ceph-guide.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+.. _external-ceph-guide:
+
+=============
+External Ceph
+=============
+
+Sometimes it is necessary to connect OpenStack services to an existing Ceph
+cluster instead of deploying it with Kolla. This can be achieved with only a
+few configuration steps in Kolla.
+
+Requirements
+============
+
+* An existing installation of Ceph
+* Existing Ceph storage pools
+* Existing credentials in Ceph for OpenStack services to connect to Ceph
+(Glance, Cinder)
+
+Enabling External Ceph
+======================
+
+Using external Ceph with Kolla means not to deploy Ceph via Kolla. Therefore,
+disable Ceph deployment in ``/etc/kolla/global.yml``
+
+::
+
+  enable_ceph: "no"
+
+There are flags indicating individual services to use ceph or not which default
+to the value of ``enable_ceph``. Those flags now need to be activated in order
+to activate external Ceph integration. This can be done individually per
+service in ``/etc/kolla/global.yml``:
+
+::
+
+  glance_enable_ceph: "yes"
+  cinder_backend_ceph: "yes"
+
+The combination of ``enable_ceph: "no"`` and ``<service>_enable_ceph: "yes"``
+triggers the activation of external ceph mechanism in Kolla.
+
+Configuring External Ceph
+=========================
+
+Glance
+------
+
+Configuring Glance for Ceph includes three steps:
+
+1) Configure RBD backend in glance-api.conf
+2) Create Ceph configuration file in /etc/ceph/ceph.conf
+3) Create Ceph keyring file in /etc/ceph/ceph.client.<username>.keyring
+
+Step 1 is done by using Kolla's INI merge mechanism: Create a file in
+``/etc/kolla/config/glance/glance-api.conf`` with the following contents:
+
+::
+
+  [DEFAULT]
+  show_image_direct_url = True
+
+  [glance_store]
+  stores = rbd
+  default_store = rbd
+  rbd_store_chunk_size = 8
+  rbd_store_pool = images
+  rbd_store_user = glance
+  rbd_store_ceph_conf = /etc/ceph/ceph.conf
+  rados_connect_timeout = 0
+
+  [image_format]
+  container_formats = bare
+  disk_formats = raw
+
+Now put ceph.conf and the keyring file (name depends on the username created in
+Ceph) into the same directory, for example:
+
+/etc/kolla/config/glance/ceph.conf
+
+::
+
+  [global]
+  fsid = 1d89fec3-325a-4963-a950-c4afedd37fe3
+  mon_initial_members = ceph-0
+  mon_host = 192.168.0.56
+  auth_cluster_required = cephx
+  auth_service_required = cephx
+  auth_client_required = cephx
+
+/etc/kolla/config/glance/ceph.client.glance.keyring
+
+::
+
+  [client.glance]
+  key = AQAg5YRXS0qxLRAAXe6a4R1a15AoRx7ft80DhA==
+
+Kolla will pick up all files named ceph.* in this directory an copy them to the
+/etc/ceph/ directory of the container.
+
+Cinder
+------
+
+Configuring external Ceph for Cinder works very similar to
+Glance. The required Cinder configuration goes into
+/etc/kolla/config/cinder/cinder-volume.conf:
+
+::
+
+  [DEFAULT]
+  enabled_backends=rbd-1
+
+  [rbd-1]
+  rbd_ceph_conf=/etc/ceph/ceph.conf
+  rbd_user=cinder
+  backend_host=rbd:volumes
+  rbd_pool=volumes
+  volume_backend_name=rbd-1
+  volume_driver=cinder.volume.drivers.rbd.RBDDriver
+
+Next, place the ceph.conf file into
+/etc/kolla/config/cinder/ceph.conf:
+
+::
+
+  [global]
+  fsid = 1d89fec3-325a-4963-a950-c4afedd37fe3
+  mon_initial_members = ceph-0
+  mon_host = 192.168.0.56
+  auth_cluster_required = cephx
+  auth_service_required = cephx
+  auth_client_required = cephx
+
+Separate configuration options can be configured for
+cinder-volume and cinder-backup by adding ceph.conf files to
+/etc/kolla/config/cinder/cinder-volume and
+/etc/kolla/config/cinder/cinder-backup respectively. They
+will be merged with /etc/kolla/config/cinder/ceph.conf.
+
+Ceph keyrings are deployed per service and placed into
+cinder-volume and cinder-backup directories:
+
+::
+
+  root@deploy:/etc/kolla/config# cat
+  cinder/cinder-backup/ceph.client.cinder.keyring
+  [client.cinder]
+          key = AQAg5YRXpChaGRAAlTSCleesthCRmCYrfQVX1w==
+  root@deploy:/etc/kolla/config# cat
+  cinder/cinder-volume/ceph.client.cinder.keyring
+  [client.cinder]
+          key = AQAg5YRXpChaGRAAlTSCleesthCRmCYrfQVX1w==
+
+It is important that the files are named ceph.client*.
diff --git a/doc/index.rst b/doc/index.rst
index 461829ac7d..a5d50bc6cb 100644
--- a/doc/index.rst
+++ b/doc/index.rst
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ Kolla Services
    :maxdepth: 1
 
    ceph-guide
+   external-ceph-guide
    cinder-guide
    ironic-guide
    manila-guide
diff --git a/etc/kolla/globals.yml b/etc/kolla/globals.yml
index 42f725dca9..cd4c0815bd 100644
--- a/etc/kolla/globals.yml
+++ b/etc/kolla/globals.yml
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ neutron_external_interface: "eth1"
 # when ceph is not deployed by Kolla.
 #glance_enable_ceph: "{{ enable_ceph }}"
 
+
 ###################
 # Ceph options
 ###################
@@ -144,8 +145,12 @@ neutron_external_interface: "eth1"
 
 
 #######################
-# Cinder iSCSI options
+# Cinder options
 #######################
+# Enable / disable Cinder backends
+cinder_backend_iscsi: "{{ enable_iscsi }}"
+cinder_backend_ceph: "{{ enable_ceph }}"
+
 # Cinder's iSCSI backend !!!REQUIRES!!! two parameters:
 # 1 - IP address of the server hosting LVM Volume group
 # 2 - The name of Volume group which Cinder will use.