diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-base/pre.yml b/playbooks/kayobe-base/pre.yml
index f90db4a1c..df5db3b6b 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-base/pre.yml
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-base/pre.yml
@@ -15,3 +15,35 @@
         dest: "/tmp"
         mode: 0644
         remote_src: true
+
+    - name: Ensure kayobe is executed in verbose mode
+      lineinfile:
+        path: "{{ kayobe_src_dir }}/dev/config.sh"
+        line: "export KAYOBE_EXTRA_ARGS=-vvv"
+        regexp: "^#export KAYOBE_EXTRA_ARGS=$"
+
+    - block:
+        - name: Ensure previous kayobe directory exists
+          file:
+            path: "{{ previous_kayobe_src_dir }}"
+            state: directory
+
+        - name: Ensure previous kayobe repository is cloned
+          command: >-
+            git clone {{ kayobe_src_dir }} {{ previous_kayobe_src_dir }} -b stable/{{ previous_release | lower }}
+
+        - name: Ensure previous kayobe-config directory exists
+          file:
+            path: "{{ previous_kayobe_config_src_dir }}"
+            state: directory
+
+        - name: Ensure kayobe-config repository is cloned
+          command: >-
+            git clone {{ kayobe_config_src_dir }} {{ previous_kayobe_config_src_dir }} -b stable/{{ previous_release | lower }}
+
+        - name: Ensure previous kayobe is executed in verbose mode
+          lineinfile:
+            path: "{{ previous_kayobe_src_dir }}/dev/config.sh"
+            line: "export KAYOBE_EXTRA_ARGS=-vvv"
+            regexp: "^#export KAYOBE_EXTRA_ARGS=$"
+      when: is_upgrade
diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-upgrade-base/pre.yml b/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-upgrade-base/pre.yml
index 8370ae461..7809b50bc 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-upgrade-base/pre.yml
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-upgrade-base/pre.yml
@@ -1,24 +1,6 @@
 ---
 - hosts: primary
   tasks:
-    - name: Ensure previous kayobe directory exists
-      file:
-        path: "{{ previous_kayobe_src_dir }}"
-        state: directory
-
-    - name: Ensure previous kayobe repository is cloned
-      command: >-
-        git clone {{ kayobe_src_dir }} {{ previous_kayobe_src_dir }} -b stable/{{ previous_release | lower }}
-
-    - name: Ensure previous kayobe-config directory exists
-      file:
-        path: "{{ previous_kayobe_config_src_dir }}"
-        state: directory
-
-    - name: Ensure kayobe-config repository is cloned
-      command: >-
-        git clone {{ kayobe_config_src_dir }} {{ previous_kayobe_config_src_dir }} -b stable/{{ previous_release | lower }}
-
     # NOTE(mgoddard): Use the name zz-overrides.yml to ensure this takes
     # precedence over the standard config files.
     - name: Ensure kayobe-config override config file exists
diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-seed-upgrade-base/pre.yml b/playbooks/kayobe-seed-upgrade-base/pre.yml
index c21aac0cd..c38f7beb3 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-seed-upgrade-base/pre.yml
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-seed-upgrade-base/pre.yml
@@ -1,24 +1,6 @@
 ---
 - hosts: primary
   tasks:
-    - name: Ensure previous kayobe directory exists
-      file:
-        path: "{{ previous_kayobe_src_dir }}"
-        state: directory
-
-    - name: Ensure previous kayobe repository is cloned
-      command: >-
-        git clone {{ kayobe_src_dir }} {{ previous_kayobe_src_dir }} -b stable/{{ previous_release | lower }}
-
-    - name: Ensure previous kayobe-config directory exists
-      file:
-        path: "{{ previous_kayobe_config_src_dir }}"
-        state: directory
-
-    - name: Ensure kayobe-config repository is cloned
-      command: >-
-        git clone {{ kayobe_config_src_dir }} {{ previous_kayobe_config_src_dir }} -b stable/{{ previous_release | lower }}
-
     # NOTE(mgoddard): Use the name zz-overrides.yml to ensure this takes
     # precedence over the standard config files.
     - name: Ensure kayobe-config override config file exists
diff --git a/zuul.d/jobs.yaml b/zuul.d/jobs.yaml
index 2c3141a63..ebdc8bc85 100644
--- a/zuul.d/jobs.yaml
+++ b/zuul.d/jobs.yaml
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
       previous_kayobe_config_src_dir: "{{ ansible_env.PWD ~ '/previous/kayobe-config' }}"
       requirements_src_dir: "{{ ansible_env.PWD ~ '/' ~ zuul.projects['opendev.org/openstack/requirements'].src_dir }}"
       tenks_src_dir: "{{ ansible_env.PWD ~ '/' ~ zuul.projects['opendev.org/openstack/tenks'].src_dir }}"
+      is_upgrade: "{{ 'upgrade' in zuul.job }}"
 
 - job:
     name: kayobe-overcloud-base