diff --git a/neutron/tests/contrib/gate_hook.sh b/neutron/tests/contrib/gate_hook.sh
index 99d80fd7f33..1b1673cc20a 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/contrib/gate_hook.sh
+++ b/neutron/tests/contrib/gate_hook.sh
@@ -67,8 +67,17 @@ case $VENV in
     fi
     upgrade_ovs_if_necessary $compile_modules
 
+    # prepare base environment for ./stack.sh
+    load_conf_hook stack_base
+
+    # enable monitoring
+    load_conf_hook dstat
+
     # Make the workspace owned by the stack user
     sudo chown -R $STACK_USER:$STACK_USER $BASE
+
+    # deploy devstack as per local.conf
+    cd $DEVSTACK_PATH && sudo -H -u $GATE_STACK_USER ./stack.sh
     ;;
 
 "api"|"api-pecan"|"full-ovsfw"|"full-pecan"|"dsvm-scenario")
diff --git a/neutron/tests/contrib/hooks/dstat b/neutron/tests/contrib/hooks/dstat
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1cad8c5df79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/neutron/tests/contrib/hooks/dstat
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[[local|localrc]]
+enable_service dstat
diff --git a/neutron/tests/contrib/hooks/stack_base b/neutron/tests/contrib/hooks/stack_base
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1f6f9407f82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/neutron/tests/contrib/hooks/stack_base
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[[local|localrc]]
+# set password, otherwise devstack enters interactive mode and fails
+ADMIN_PASSWORD=secretadmin
+# don't use screen to start services (needed to disable colorization in
+# captured service logs)
+USE_SCREEN=False
+# start with an empty service list, otherwise devstack will configure several
+# 'default' services, including rabbitmq and mysql
+disable_all_services
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 06b7d9a8364..5137a68360b 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ deps =
 basepython = python2.7
 setenv = {[testenv:functional]setenv}
          {[testenv:dsvm]setenv}
-sitepackages=True
 deps =
   {[testenv:functional]deps}
 commands =
@@ -62,7 +61,6 @@ commands =
 [testenv:dsvm-functional-py35]
 basepython = python3.5
 setenv = {[testenv:dsvm-functional]setenv}
-sitepackages={[testenv:dsvm-functional]sitepackages}
 deps =
   {[testenv:dsvm-functional]deps}
 commands =
@@ -76,7 +74,6 @@ setenv = {[testenv]setenv}
          # workaround for DB teardown lock contention (bug/1541742)
          OS_TEST_TIMEOUT=600
          OS_TEST_PATH=./neutron/tests/fullstack
-sitepackages=True
 deps =
   {[testenv:functional]deps}