diff --git a/lib/tempest b/lib/tempest
index b232f24540..ec2949ac38 100644
--- a/lib/tempest
+++ b/lib/tempest
@@ -779,7 +779,12 @@ function configure_tempest {
 # install_tempest() - Collect source and prepare
 function install_tempest {
     git_clone $TEMPEST_REPO $TEMPEST_DIR $TEMPEST_BRANCH
-    pip_install 'tox!=2.8.0'
+    # NOTE(gmann): Pinning tox<4.0.0 for stable/zed and lower. Tox 4.0.0
+    # released after zed was released and has some incompatible changes
+    # and it is ok not to fix the issues caused by tox 4.0.0 in stable
+    # beanches jobs. We can continue testing the stable/zed and lower
+    # branches with tox<4.0.0
+    pip_install 'tox!=2.8.0,<4.0.0'
     pushd $TEMPEST_DIR
     # NOTE(gmann): checkout the TEMPEST_BRANCH in case TEMPEST_BRANCH
     # is tag name not master. git_clone would not checkout tag because
diff --git a/playbooks/tox/pre.yaml b/playbooks/tox/pre.yaml
index d7e4670a80..68d5254251 100644
--- a/playbooks/tox/pre.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/tox/pre.yaml
@@ -5,4 +5,10 @@
       bindep_profile: test
       bindep_dir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}"
     - test-setup
-    - ensure-tox
+    # NOTE(gmann): Pinning tox<4.0.0 for stable/zed and lower. Tox 4.0.0
+    # released after zed was released and has some incompatible changes
+    # and it is ok not to fix the issues caused by tox 4.0.0 in stable
+    # beanches jobs. We can continue testing the stable/zed and lower
+    # branches with tox<4.0.0
+    - role: ensure-tox
+      ensure_tox_version: "<4"