diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
index 7bb373d7..d18e0301 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
@@ -488,6 +488,9 @@ export DEVSTACK_GATE_IRONIC=${DEVSTACK_GATE_IRONIC:-0}
 # Set to 1 to run savanna
 export DEVSTACK_GATE_SAVANNA=${DEVSTACK_GATE_SAVANNA:-0}
 
+# Set to 0 to disable config_drive and use the metadata server instead
+export DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE=${DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE:-1}
+
 # The following variables are set for different directions of Grenade updating
 # for a stable branch we want to both try to upgrade forward n => n+1 as
 # well as upgrade from last n-1 => n.
diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate.sh b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
index 269c33b1..389c4e98 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
@@ -202,7 +202,11 @@ EOF
         echo "TEMPEST_LARGE_OPS_NUMBER=100" >>localrc
     fi
 
-
+    if [ "$DEVSTACK_GATE_CONFIGDRIVE" -eq "1" ]; then
+        echo "FORCE_CONFIG_DRIVE=always" >>localrc
+    else
+        echo "FORCE_CONFIG_DRIVE=False" >>localrc
+    fi
 }
 
 if [ "$DEVSTACK_GATE_GRENADE" -eq "1" ]; then