diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/libvirt_packages-e826dec75312c077.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/libvirt_packages-e826dec75312c077.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ed756f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/libvirt_packages-e826dec75312c077.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    Variable `libvirt_package` in ceph_client role has been renamed to
+    `libvirt_packages` and converted from string to a list.
diff --git a/vars/debian.yml b/vars/debian.yml
index bb9f528..3c05894 100644
--- a/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/vars/debian.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ ceph_apt_repo_url_region: "download"  # or "eu" for Netherlands based mirror
 ceph_apt_repo_url: "http://{{ ceph_apt_repo_url_region }}.ceph.com/debian-{{ ceph_stable_release }}/"
 
 # LibVirt differentials between Debian and Ubuntu
-libvirt_package: "{{ (ansible_distribution == 'Debian') | ternary('libvirt-daemon-system', 'libvirt-bin') }}"
+libvirt_packages:
+  - "{{ (ansible_distribution == 'Debian') | ternary('libvirt-daemon-system', 'libvirt-bin') }}"
+
 libvirt_service_name: libvirtd
 
 python_ceph_packages:
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index aeca690..11722f4 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ ceph_components:
       - '{{ cinder_backup_ceph_client }}'
     service: '{{ ceph_cinder_service_names }}'
   - component: nova_compute
-    package: "{{ [ libvirt_package, 'ceph-common' ] + python_ceph_packages  }}"
+    package: "{{ libvirt_packages + [ 'ceph-common' ] + python_ceph_packages  }}"
     client:
       - '{{ nova_ceph_client }}'
     service: '{{ ceph_nova_service_names }}'
diff --git a/vars/redhat-7.yml b/vars/redhat-7.yml
index d67b2a2..94f286e 100644
--- a/vars/redhat-7.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat-7.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ epel_gpg_keys:
   # Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux 7
   - key: /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-EPEL-7
 
-libvirt_package: libvirt-daemon-kvm
+libvirt_packages:
+  - libvirt-daemon-kvm
+  - libvirt-client
+
 libvirt_service_name: libvirtd
 
 python_ceph_packages:
diff --git a/vars/suse.yml b/vars/suse.yml
index 4e87964..6be0c01 100644
--- a/vars/suse.yml
+++ b/vars/suse.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-libvirt_package: qemu-kvm
+libvirt_packages:
+  - qemu-kvm
+
 libvirt_service_name: libvirtd
 
 python_ceph_packages: