diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
index 89e470a9..32dafe11 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
@@ -295,6 +295,10 @@ export DEVSTACK_GATE_TEMPEST_REGEX=${DEVSTACK_GATE_TEMPEST_REGEX:-""}
 # Set to 1 if running the openstack/requirements integration test
 export DEVSTACK_GATE_REQS_INTEGRATION=${DEVSTACK_GATE_REQS_INTEGRATION:-0}
 
+# Set to 1 if running the project is using libraries not specified
+# in global requirements
+export REQUIREMENTS_MODE=${REQUIREMENTS_MODE:-strict}
+
 # Set to 0 to disable clean logs enforcement (3rd party CI might want to do this
 # until they get their driver cleaned up)
 export DEVSTACK_GATE_CLEAN_LOGS=${DEVSTACK_GATE_CLEAN_LOGS:-1}
diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate.sh b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
index f22d6882..4cb50146 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ PIP_USE_MIRRORS=False
 USE_GET_PIP=1
 # Don't reset the requirements.txt files after g-r updates
 UNDO_REQUIREMENTS=False
+# Set to soft if the project is using libraries not in g-r
+REQUIREMENTS_MODE=${REQUIREMENTS_MODE}
 CINDER_PERIODIC_INTERVAL=10
 export OS_NO_CACHE=True
 CEILOMETER_BACKEND=$DEVSTACK_GATE_CEILOMETER_BACKEND