diff --git a/ansible/hypervisor_setup.yml b/ansible/hypervisor_setup.yml
index db8217a..82d6e7f 100644
--- a/ansible/hypervisor_setup.yml
+++ b/ansible/hypervisor_setup.yml
@@ -34,24 +34,12 @@
   failed_when: false
   changed_when: false
 
-- block:
-    - name: Ensure Open vSwitch package is installed
-      package:
-        name: "{{ tenks_openvswitch_pkg_name }}"
-      register: result
-      until: result is success
-      retries: 3
-      become: true
-
-    - name: Ensure Open vSwitch is started and enabled
-      service:
-        name: "{{ tenks_openvswitch_service_name }}"
-        state: started
-        enabled: true
-      become: true
-  # Assume a non-zero return code means the command does not exist. Do this
-  # check to avoid installing Open vSwitch system-wide if the command already
-  # exists as a link to a containerised version of OVS.
+- name: Fail when Open vSwitch is not installed
+  fail:
+    msg: >-
+      Tenks requires openvswitch to be installed and running. Please install
+      openvswitch. If it is installed, please report this as a bug.
+  # Assume a non-zero return code means that openvswitch is not installed.
   when: ovs_vsctl_check.rc != 0
 
 - name: Configure physical networks
diff --git a/ansible/vars/Debian.yml b/ansible/vars/Debian.yml
index 046fc5a..1a81a8c 100644
--- a/ansible/vars/Debian.yml
+++ b/ansible/vars/Debian.yml
@@ -2,10 +2,3 @@
 
 # path to `ip` from the `iproute2` package
 tenks_ip_path: /sbin/ip
-
-# package that provides the Open vSwitch daemon and userspace
-# utilities
-tenks_openvswitch_pkg_name: openvswitch-switch
-
-# service name of Open vSwitch daemon (as passed the Ansible service module)
-tenks_openvswitch_service_name: openvswitch-switch
diff --git a/ansible/vars/RedHat.yml b/ansible/vars/RedHat.yml
index aca26fc..91162ab 100644
--- a/ansible/vars/RedHat.yml
+++ b/ansible/vars/RedHat.yml
@@ -2,10 +2,3 @@
 
 # path to `ip` from the `iproute2` package
 tenks_ip_path: /usr/sbin/ip
-
-# package that provides the Open vSwitch daemon and userspace
-# utilities
-tenks_openvswitch_pkg_name: openvswitch
-
-# service name of Open vSwitch daemon (as passed the Ansible service module)
-tenks_openvswitch_service_name: openvswitch
diff --git a/doc/source/install.rst b/doc/source/install.rst
index 95c0a49..9884029 100644
--- a/doc/source/install.rst
+++ b/doc/source/install.rst
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ installed with a command such as::
 
  $ yum install --assumeyes python-virtualenv git
 
+ Open vSwitch must be installed and running. Please see the
+ `Open vSwitch docs <https://docs.openvswitch.org/en/latest/intro/install/>`_
+ for more details.
+
 Tenks Installation
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/playbooks/openvswitch.yml b/playbooks/openvswitch.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7c3468
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/openvswitch.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+---
+- hosts: hypervisors
+  vars:
+    ansible_become: true
+  tasks:
+    # Workaround for:
+    # http://mirror.ord.rax.opendev.org/epel/7/SRPMS/repodata/repomd.xml: [Errno 14] HTTP Error 404 - Not Found
+    # See: https://zuul.opendev.org/t/openstack/build/1fa5b2f895c54e7a81a064a2fff5f838/log/centos-7/ansible/tenks-deploy#501
+    - block:
+        - name: Install epel release
+          package:
+            name: epel-release
+
+        - name: Switch the broken mirror
+          ini_file:
+            path: /etc/yum.repos.d/epel.repo
+            section: epel-source
+            option: baseurl
+            value: http://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/$releasever/SRPMS/
+
+        - name: Make sure metalink does not exist
+          ini_file:
+            path: /etc/yum.repos.d/epel.repo
+            section: epel-source
+            option: metalink
+            state: absent
+
+        - name: Install Open vSwitch
+          include_role:
+            name: fkautz.openvswitch-install
+      when: ansible_os_family == "RedHat"
+
+    - block:
+        - name: Install packages
+          package:
+            name: "{{ item }}"
+          register: result
+          until: result is success
+          retries: 3
+          with_items:
+            - openvswitch-switch
+            - openvswitch-common
+
+        - name: Start openvswitch service
+          service:
+            name: openvswitch-switch
+            state: started
+      when: ansible_os_family == "Debian"
+
diff --git a/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/pre.yml b/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/pre.yml
index 00c5360..c5da09c 100644
--- a/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/pre.yml
+++ b/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/pre.yml
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@
           -p {{ tenks_src_dir }}/ansible/roles
         chdir: "{{ tenks_src_dir }}"
 
-    - name: Override Galaxy dependencies with equivalent modules from the zuul checkout
-      # We override so that as we add more dependenices we won't have to keep two files in
-      # sync
+    - name: Install dependencies for CI
+      # We install roles specifc to CI over the existing ones. This means that we
+      # don't have to keep the two requirements files in sync, as we just override
+      # some of them.
       vars:
         ansible_galaxy_bin: "{{ tenks_venv }}/bin/ansible-galaxy"
       command:
diff --git a/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/run.yml b/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/run.yml
index f1b1578..e8d6b27 100644
--- a/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/run.yml
+++ b/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/run.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,17 @@
     - name: Include common variables
       include_vars: common.yml
 
+    - name: Install Open vSwitch
+      shell:
+        cmd: >-
+          {{ ansible_playbook_bin }} -vvv
+          --inventory ansible/inventory
+          --extra-vars=@{{ tenks_overrides_path }}
+          playbooks/openvswitch.yml > {{ logs_dir }}/ansible/tenks-deploy
+        chdir: "{{ tenks_src_dir }}"
+      environment:
+        ANSIBLE_ROLES_PATH: "{{ tenks_src_dir }}/ansible/roles"
+
     - name: Deploy tenks cluster
       shell:
         cmd: >-
diff --git a/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/templates/requirements-overrides.yml.j2 b/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/templates/requirements-overrides.yml.j2
index df7bbca..b94648b 100644
--- a/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/templates/requirements-overrides.yml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/tenks-deploy-teardown/templates/requirements-overrides.yml.j2
@@ -8,3 +8,7 @@
 
 - src: git+{{ stackhpc_libvirt_vm_src_dir }}/.git
   name: stackhpc.libvirt-vm
+
+# Roles for CI only
+- src: https://github.com/stackhpc/ansible-roles-openvswitch-install
+  name: fkautz.openvswitch-install
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/do-not-install-openvswitch-651218091900ba27.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/do-not-install-openvswitch-651218091900ba27.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37a3971
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/do-not-install-openvswitch-651218091900ba27.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    Tenks no longer installs Open vSwitch. Please use your preferred method to
+    install Open vSwitch prior to running Tenks.