diff --git a/ansible/kolla-ansible.yml b/ansible/kolla-ansible.yml
index 56927e653..003e2532b 100644
--- a/ansible/kolla-ansible.yml
+++ b/ansible/kolla-ansible.yml
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
     - name: Initialise facts containing the network host interfaces
       set_fact:
         # Initialise the following lists.
-        kolla_neutron_bridge_interfaces: []
+        kolla_neutron_interfaces: []
         kolla_neutron_bridge_names: []
         kolla_neutron_external_interfaces: []
 
@@ -79,24 +79,29 @@
     # bridge interface rather than the untagged interface. We therefore
     # strip the .<vlan> suffix of the interface name. We use a union here
     # as a single tagged interface may be shared between these networks.
-    - name: Set a fact containing the bridges to be patched to the Neutron OVS bridges
+    - name: Set a fact containing the interfaces to be plugged to the Neutron OVS bridges
       set_fact:
-        kolla_neutron_bridge_interfaces: >
-          {{ kolla_neutron_bridge_interfaces |
+        kolla_neutron_interfaces: >
+          {{ kolla_neutron_interfaces |
              union([item | net_interface | replace('.' ~ item | net_vlan | default('!nomatch!'), '')]) |
              list }}
       with_items: "{{ [provision_wl_net_name, cleaning_net_name] + external_net_names | unique | list }}"
       when: item in network_interfaces
 
     - name: Set facts containing the Neutron bridge and interface names
+      vars:
+        is_bridge: "{{ item in (network_interfaces | net_select_bridges | map('net_interface')) }}"
+        # For a bridge, use a veth pair connected to the bridge. Otherwise use
+        # the interface directly.
+        external_interface: "{{ (network_patch_prefix ~ item ~ network_patch_suffix_ovs) if is_bridge else item }}"
       set_fact:
         kolla_neutron_bridge_names: >
           {{ kolla_neutron_bridge_names +
              [item ~ network_bridge_suffix_ovs] }}
         kolla_neutron_external_interfaces: >
           {{ kolla_neutron_external_interfaces +
-             [network_patch_prefix ~ item ~ network_patch_suffix_ovs] }}
-      with_items: "{{ kolla_neutron_bridge_interfaces }}"
+             [external_interface] }}
+      with_items: "{{ kolla_neutron_interfaces }}"
 
     - name: Validate overcloud host Kolla Ansible network configuration
       fail:
diff --git a/ansible/network.yml b/ansible/network.yml
index 8d9f578b2..4a6465712 100644
--- a/ansible/network.yml
+++ b/ansible/network.yml
@@ -76,26 +76,28 @@
     - config
     - network
   vars:
-    veth_bridge_mtu_map: {}
+    veth_mtu_map: {}
     veth_interfaces: []
   pre_tasks:
     # When these networks are VLANs, we need to use the underlying tagged
-    # bridge interface rather than the untagged interface. We therefore strip
+    # interface rather than the untagged interface. We therefore strip
     # the .<vlan> suffix of the interface name. We use a union here as a single
     # tagged interface may be shared between these networks.
     - name: Update a fact containing bridges to be patched to the Neutron OVS bridge
       set_fact:
-        veth_bridge_mtu_map: >
-          {{ veth_bridge_mtu_map | combine({interface: mtu}) }}
+        veth_mtu_map: >
+          {{ veth_mtu_map | combine({interface: mtu}) }}
       with_items: "{{ [provision_wl_net_name, cleaning_net_name] + external_net_names | unique | list }}"
-      when: item in network_interfaces
+      when:
+        - item in network_interfaces
+        - item | net_is_bridge
       vars:
         interface: "{{ item | net_interface | replace('.' ~ item | net_vlan | default('!nomatch!'), '') }}"
         # Determine the MTU as the maximum of all subinterface MTUs. Only
         # interfaces with an explicit MTU set will be taken account of. If no
         # interface has an explicit MTU set, then the corresponding veth will
         # not either.
-        mtu_list: "{{ [veth_bridge_mtu_map.get(interface), item | net_mtu] | select | map('int') | list }}"
+        mtu_list: "{{ [veth_mtu_map.get(interface), item | net_mtu] | select | map('int') | list }}"
         mtu: "{{ mtu_list | max if mtu_list | length > 0 else None }}"
 
     - name: Update a fact containing veth interfaces
@@ -110,6 +112,6 @@
                'peer_bootproto': 'static',
                'peer_mtu': item.value,
                'onboot': 'yes'}] }}
-      with_dict: "{{ veth_bridge_mtu_map }}"
+      with_dict: "{{ veth_mtu_map }}"
   roles:
     - role: veth
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/plug-ovs-phy-f180d9bb9dd25dab.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/plug-ovs-phy-f180d9bb9dd25dab.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..96ea82dd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/plug-ovs-phy-f180d9bb9dd25dab.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Adds support for plugging the Open vSwitch provider bridge directly into a
+    an Ethernet interface. Previously it was necessary to define a Linux
+    bridge, into which Kayobe would plug a virtual Ethernet pair. The use of a
+    direct connection may provide improved performance, or allow additional
+    hardware offloading. See `story 2007364
+    <https://storyboard.openstack.org/#!/story/2007364>`_ for details.