diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
index 4563638d..ddb32821 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=${DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE:-1}
 # Set to 1 to enable running a keystone v3 based gate
 export DEVSTACK_GATE_KEYSTONE_V3=${DEVSTACK_GATE_KEYSTONE_V3:-0}
 
+# Set to 1 to enable installing test requirements
+export DEVSTACK_GATE_INSTALL_TESTONLY=${DEVSTACK_GATE_INSTALL_TESTONLY:-0}
+
 # Set to 0 to run services that default under Apache + mod_wsgi under alternatives (e.g. eventlet)
 # if possible
 export DEVSTACK_GATE_ENABLE_HTTPD_MOD_WSGI_SERVICES=${DEVSTACK_GATE_ENABLE_HTTPD_MOD_WSGI_SERVICES:-1}
diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate.sh b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
index c45c87c0..1f0a9b53 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
@@ -230,6 +230,10 @@ EOF
     if [[ "$DEVSTACK_GATE_TEMPEST_NOVA_V3_API" -eq "1" ]]; then
         echo "TEMPEST_NOVA_API_V3=True" >> localrc
     fi
+    if [[ "$DEVSTACK_GATE_INSTALL_TESTONLY" -eq "1" ]]; then
+        # Sometimes we do want the test packages
+        echo "INSTALL_TESTONLY_PACKAGES=True" >> localrc
+    fi
 }
 
 if [[ "$DEVSTACK_GATE_GRENADE" -eq "1" ]]; then