diff --git a/playbooks/configure_ebtables.yaml b/playbooks/configure_ebtables.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f955177d248
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/configure_ebtables.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+- hosts: all
+  roles:
+    # TODO(slaweq): remove it when nftables will support syntax for src and
+    # destination IP addresses in arp tables:
+    - legacy_ebtables
diff --git a/playbooks/configure_functional_job.yaml b/playbooks/configure_functional_job.yaml
index c663b786376..d44c4febd7d 100644
--- a/playbooks/configure_functional_job.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/configure_functional_job.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 - hosts: all
   roles:
     - ensure-tox
+    # TODO(slaweq): remove it when nftables will support syntax for src and
+    # destination IP addresses in arp tables:
+    - legacy_ebtables
     - setup_logdir
     - configure_functional_tests
diff --git a/roles/legacy_ebtables/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/legacy_ebtables/tasks/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e33dedee2c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/legacy_ebtables/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+- name: Ensure legacy ebtables is installed
+  package:
+    name: 'ebtables'
+    state: latest
+  become: yes
+
+- name: Switch to legacy ebtables
+  shell:
+    cmd: /usr/bin/update-alternatives --set ebtables /usr/sbin/ebtables-legacy
+    executable: /bin/bash
+  become: yes
+  when:
+    - ansible_facts['distribution_release'] == "focal"
+    - ansible_facts['distribution'] == "Ubuntu"
+
+
diff --git a/zuul.d/tempest-singlenode.yaml b/zuul.d/tempest-singlenode.yaml
index 04a3c643a81..711aef39cc4 100644
--- a/zuul.d/tempest-singlenode.yaml
+++ b/zuul.d/tempest-singlenode.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
       - openstack/devstack-gate
       - openstack/neutron
       - openstack/tempest
+    pre-run: playbooks/configure_ebtables.yaml
     vars:
       tempest_concurrency: 4
       devstack_localrc: