diff --git a/ansible/group_vars/switches/junos b/ansible/group_vars/switches/junos
index ad2df5672..4ec8a1f47 100644
--- a/ansible/group_vars/switches/junos
+++ b/ansible/group_vars/switches/junos
@@ -7,6 +7,22 @@
 # For Juniper switches, this defines a 'provider' argument to the junos_*
 # modules.
 switch_junos_provider:
-  host: "{{ ansible_host }}"
+  host: "{{ ansible_host|default(inventory_hostname) }}"
   username: "{{ ansible_user }}"
-  password: "{{ ansible_ssh_pass }}"
+  password: "{{ ansible_ssh_pass|default(omit) }}"
+  ssh_keyfile: "{{ ansible_ssh_private_keyfile|default(omit) }}"
+  timeout: "{{ switch_junos_timeout|default(omit) }}"
+
+###############################################################################
+# Configuration format.
+
+# Format of configuration in junos_switch_config and
+# junos_switch_interface_config. May be one of 'set', 'text' or 'json'.
+switch_junos_config_format: text
+
+###############################################################################
+# Timeout.
+
+# Timeout in seconds for communicating with the network device either for
+# connecting or sending commands.
+switch_junos_timeout: 10
diff --git a/ansible/physical-network.yml b/ansible/physical-network.yml
index 0f5c98719..d5eb86a36 100644
--- a/ansible/physical-network.yml
+++ b/ansible/physical-network.yml
@@ -38,9 +38,11 @@
   roles:
     - role: ssh-known-host
 
-    - role: juniper-switch
-      juniper_switch_delegate_to: localhost
-      juniper_switch_type: "{{ switch_type }}"
-      juniper_switch_provider: "{{ switch_juniper_provider }}"
-      juniper_switch_config: "{{ switch_config }}"
-      juniper_switch_interface_config: "{{ switch_interface_config }}"
+    - role: junos-switch
+      junos_switch_delegate_to: localhost
+      junos_switch_venv: "{{ lookup('env', 'VIRTUAL_ENV') }}"
+      junos_switch_type: "{{ switch_type }}"
+      junos_switch_provider: "{{ switch_junos_provider }}"
+      junos_switch_config_format: "{{ switch_junos_config_format }}"
+      junos_switch_config: "{{ switch_config }}"
+      junos_switch_interface_config: "{{ switch_interface_config }}"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/juniper-switch/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/juniper-switch/tasks/main.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index c828363be..000000000
--- a/ansible/roles/juniper-switch/tasks/main.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
----
-- name: Ensure Juniper switches are configured
-  junos_config:
-    provider: "{{ juniper_switch_provider }}"
-    src: junos-config.j2
-  delegate_to: "{{ juniper_switch_delegate_to }}"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/juniper-switch/README.md b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/README.md
similarity index 67%
rename from ansible/roles/juniper-switch/README.md
rename to ansible/roles/junos-switch/README.md
index aa94ff4bd..ed0652dfc 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/juniper-switch/README.md
+++ b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-Juniper Switch
-==============
+JunOS Switch
+============
 
 This role configures Juniper switches using the `junos` Ansible modules.  It
 provides a fairly minimal abstraction of the configuration interface provided
@@ -9,21 +9,25 @@ configuration options.
 Requirements
 ------------
 
-The switches should be configured to allow SSH access.
+The switches should be configured to allow access to NETCONF via SSH.
 
 Role Variables
 --------------
 
-`juniper_switch_delegate_to` is the host on which to execute the `junos` Ansible
+`junos_switch_delegate_to` is the host on which to execute the `junos` Ansible
 modules.
 
-`juniper_switch_provider` is authentication provider information passed as the
+`junos_switch_provider` is authentication provider information passed as the
 `provider` argument to the `junos` modules.
 
-`juniper_switch_config` is a list of configuration lines to apply to the switch,
+`junos_switch_config_format` is the format of configuration in
+`junos_switch_config` and `junos_switch_interface_config`. May be one of `set`,
+`text` or `json`.
+
+`junos_switch_config` is a list of configuration lines to apply to the switch,
 and defaults to an empty list.
 
-`juniper_switch_interface_config` contains interface configuration. It is a dict
+`junos_switch_interface_config` contains interface configuration. It is a dict
 mapping switch interface names to configuration dicts. Each dict may contain
 the following items:
 
@@ -48,19 +52,19 @@ passwords.  It applies global configuration for LLDP, and enables two
       hosts: junos-switches
       gather_facts: no
       roles:
-        - role: juniper-switch
-          juniper_switch_delegate_to: localhost
-          juniper_switch_provider:
+        - role: junos-switch
+          junos_switch_delegate_to: localhost
+          junos_switch_provider:
             host: "{{ switch_host }}"
             username: "{{ switch_user }}"
             password: "{{ switch_password }}"
-          juniper_switch_config:
+          junos_switch_config:
             - "protocols {"
             - "    lldp {"
             - "        interface all;"
             - "    }"
             - "}"
-          juniper_switch_interface_config:
+          junos_switch_interface_config:
             xe-1/1/1:
               description: server-1
               config:
diff --git a/ansible/roles/juniper-switch/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/defaults/main.yml
similarity index 74%
rename from ansible/roles/juniper-switch/defaults/main.yml
rename to ansible/roles/junos-switch/defaults/main.yml
index ca3990b0f..33f0674ed 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/juniper-switch/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/defaults/main.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ junos_switch_delegate_to:
 # Authentication provider information.
 junos_switch_provider:
 
+# Format of configuration in junos_switch_config and
+# junos_switch_interface_config. May be one of 'set', 'text' or 'json'.
+junos_switch_config_format: text
+
 # List of configuration lines to apply to the switch.
 junos_switch_config: []
 
diff --git a/ansible/roles/junos-switch/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7506f89c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+---
+# NOTE: We are installing this into the system python packages because it does
+# not seem to be possible to use ansible_python_interpreter in combination with
+# delegate_to. This should be investigated in future as modification of system
+# packages via pip is not ideal.
+- name: Ensure python dependencies are installed
+  pip:
+    name: "{{ item }}"
+  delegate_to: "{{ junos_switch_delegate_to }}"
+  with_items:
+    - junos-eznc
+    - jxmlease
+  become: True
+
+- name: Ensure Juniper switches are configured
+  junos_config:
+    provider: "{{ junos_switch_provider }}"
+    src: "{{ junos_switch_src }}"
+    src_format: "{{ junos_switch_config_format }}"
+  delegate_to: "{{ junos_switch_delegate_to }}"
+  vars:
+    junos_switch_config_format_to_src:
+      set: junos-config-set.j2
+      text: junos-config.j2
+      json: junos-config.json.j2
+    junos_switch_src: "{{ junos_switch_config_format_to_src[junos_switch_config_format] }}"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/junos-switch/templates/junos-config-set.j2 b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/templates/junos-config-set.j2
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d68d4d47c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/templates/junos-config-set.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#jinja2: trim_blocks: True,lstrip_blocks: True
+
+{% for line in junos_switch_config %}
+{{ line }}
+{% endfor %}
+
+{% for interface, config in junos_switch_interface_config.items() %}
+{% if config.description is defined %}
+set interfaces {{ interface }} description "{{ config.description }}";
+{% endif %}
+{% for line in config.config %}
+{% if line.startswith('set') %}
+set interfaces {{ interface }} {{ line[4:] }}
+{% elif line.startswith('delete') %}
+delete interfaces {{ interface }} {{ line[7:] }}
+{% else %}
+{{ interface_config_lines_must_start_with_set_or_delete }}
+{% endif %}
+{% endfor %}
+{% endfor %}
diff --git a/ansible/roles/juniper-switch/templates/junos-config.j2 b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/templates/junos-config.j2
similarity index 64%
rename from ansible/roles/juniper-switch/templates/junos-config.j2
rename to ansible/roles/junos-switch/templates/junos-config.j2
index 82c6da51f..928b2b709 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/juniper-switch/templates/junos-config.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/templates/junos-config.j2
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 #jinja2: trim_blocks: True,lstrip_blocks: True
 
-{% for line in juniper_switch_config %}
+{% for line in junos_switch_config %}
 {{ line }}
 {% endfor %}
 
+{% if junos_switch_interface_config %}
 interfaces {
-{% for interface, config in juniper_switch_interface_config.items() %}
+{% for interface, config in junos_switch_interface_config.items() %}
     {{ interface }} {
 {% if config.description is defined %}
         description "{{ config.description }}";
@@ -16,3 +17,4 @@ interfaces {
     }
 {% endfor %}
 }
+{% endif %}
diff --git a/ansible/roles/junos-switch/templates/junos-config.json.j2 b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/templates/junos-config.json.j2
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d31979ee1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/junos-switch/templates/junos-config.json.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{% set config = junos_switch_interface_config %}
+{% if junos_switch_interface_config %}
+{% set _ = config.setdefault('interfaces', []) %}
+{% endif %}
+{% for interface, config in junos_switch_interface_config.items() %}
+{% set _ = config['interfaces'].append({'name': interface}) %}
+{% if config.description is defined %}
+{% set config['interfaces'][-1]['description'] = config.description %}
+{% endif %}
+{% set _ = config['interfaces'][-1].update(config.config) %}
+{% endif %}
+{{ config | to_nice_json }}