diff --git a/playbooks/roles/create-venv/tasks/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/create-venv/tasks/main.yaml
index cf0b7c559a..85350a248b 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/create-venv/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/create-venv/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -2,10 +2,22 @@
   assert:
     that: create_venv_path is defined
 
+# Xenial's default pip will try to pull in packages that
+# aren't compatible with 3.5.  Cap them
+- name: Setup bionic era venv
+  when: ansible_distribution_version is version('16.04', '==')
+  pip:
+    name:
+      - pip<21
+      - setuptools<51
+    state: latest
+    virtualenv: '{{ create_venv_path }}'
+    virtualenv_command: '/usr/bin/python3 -m venv'
+
 # Bionic's default pip will try to pull in packages that
 # aren't compatible with 3.6.  Cap them
 - name: Setup bionic era venv
-  when: ansible_distribution_release == 'bionic'
+  when: ansible_distribution_version is version('18.04', '==')
   pip:
     name:
       - pip<22
@@ -15,7 +27,7 @@
     virtualenv_command: '/usr/bin/python3 -m venv'
 
 - name: Setup later era venv
-  when: ansible_distribution_release != 'bionic'
+  when: ansible_distribution_version is version('20.04', '>=')
   pip:
     name:
       - pip
diff --git a/zuul.d/system-config-run.yaml b/zuul.d/system-config-run.yaml
index eb5ead9920..c34fb69b26 100644
--- a/zuul.d/system-config-run.yaml
+++ b/zuul.d/system-config-run.yaml
@@ -392,6 +392,7 @@
       - playbooks/bootstrap-bridge.yaml
       - playbooks/roles/install-borg
       - playbooks/roles/borg-backup
+      - playbooks/roles/create-venv
       - playbooks/zuul/templates/host_vars/borg-backup
       - testinfra/test_borg_backups.py
     host-vars: