diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
index 59fccfd1..1e75d400 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate-wrap.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ PROJECTS="openstack-dev/devstack openstack/nova openstack/glance openstack/keyst
 # Set to 1 to run the Tempest test suite
 export DEVSTACK_GATE_TEMPEST=${DEVSTACK_GATE_TEMPEST:-0}
 
+# Set to 1 to run postgresql instead of mysql
+export DEVSTACK_GATE_POSTGRES=${DEVSTACK_GATE_POSTGRES:-0}
+
 # Set to 1 to run cinder instead of nova volume
 # Only applicable to stable/folsom branch
 export DEVSTACK_GATE_CINDER=${DEVSTACK_GATE_CINDER:-0}
diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate.sh b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
index 668e8524..dff1e1b8 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
@@ -95,6 +95,12 @@ if [ "$DEVSTACK_CINDER_SECURE_DELETE" -eq "0" ]; then
    cat <<\EOF >>localrc
 CINDER_SECURE_DELETE=False
 EOF
+fi
+
+if [ "$DEVSTACK_GATE_POSTGRES" -eq "1" ]; then
+        cat <<\EOF >>localrc
+use_database postgresql
+EOF
 fi
 
    cat <<EOF >>exerciserc