diff --git a/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh b/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..619a9055
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Copyright 2017, Rackspace US, Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+# PURPOSE:
+# This script clones the openstack-ansible-tests repository to the
+# tests/common folder in order to be able to re-use test components
+# for role testing.
+
+# WARNING:
+# This file is maintained in the openstack-ansible-tests repository:
+# https://git.openstack.org/cgit/openstack/openstack-ansible-tests
+# If you need to change this script, then propose the change there.
+# Once it merges, the change will be replicated to the other repositories.
+
+## Shell Opts ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+set -e
+
+## Vars ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+export TESTING_HOME=${TESTING_HOME:-$HOME}
+export WORKING_DIR=${WORKING_DIR:-$(pwd)}
+export CLONE_UPGRADE_TESTS=${CLONE_UPGRADE_TESTS:-no}
+
+## Main ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# Prepare the clonemap for zuul-cloner to use
+# This is placed here instead of inside the conditional
+# to prevent indentation problems.
+cat > ${TESTING_HOME}/tests-clonemap.yaml << EOF
+clonemap:
+  - name: openstack/openstack-ansible-tests
+    dest: ${WORKING_DIR}/tests/common
+EOF
+
+# If zuul-cloner is present, use it so that we
+# also include any dependent patches from the
+# tests repo noted in the commit message.
+if [[ -x /usr/zuul-env/bin/zuul-cloner ]]; then
+
+    /usr/zuul-env/bin/zuul-cloner \
+        --cache-dir /opt/git \
+        --map ${TESTING_HOME}/tests-clonemap.yaml \
+        git://git.openstack.org \
+        openstack/openstack-ansible-tests
+
+# Alternatively, use a simple git-clone. We do
+# not re-clone if the directory exists already
+# to prevent overwriting any local changes which
+# may have been made.
+elif [[ ! -d tests/common ]]; then
+
+    # The tests repo doesn't need a clone, we can just
+    # symlink it.
+    if [[ "$(basename ${WORKING_DIR})" == "openstack-ansible-tests" ]]; then
+        ln -s ${WORKING_DIR} ${WORKING_DIR}/tests/common
+    else
+        git clone \
+            https://git.openstack.org/openstack/openstack-ansible-tests \
+            ${WORKING_DIR}/tests/common
+    fi
+fi
+
+# Clean up the clonemap.
+rm -f ${TESTING_HOME}/tests-clonemap.yaml
+
+# If this test set includes an upgrade test, the
+# previous stable release tests repo must also be
+# cloned.
+# Note:
+# Dependent patches to the previous stable release
+# tests repo are not supported.
+if [[ "${CLONE_UPGRADE_TESTS}" == "yes" ]]; then
+    if [[ ! -d "${WORKING_DIR}/tests/common/previous" ]]; then
+        git clone -b stable/ocata \
+            https://git.openstack.org/openstack/openstack-ansible-tests \
+            ${WORKING_DIR}/tests/common/previous
+  fi
+fi
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 0f727d4d..d710ff0c 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -53,16 +53,9 @@ commands =
     {posargs}
 
 
-[testenv:tests_clone]
-commands =
-    bash -c "if [ ! -d "{toxinidir}/tests/common" ]; then \
-               git clone https://git.openstack.org/openstack/openstack-ansible-tests {toxinidir}/tests/common; \
-             fi"
-
-
 [testenv:pep8]
 commands =
-    {[testenv:tests_clone]commands}
+    bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh"
     bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/common/test-pep8.sh"
 
 
@@ -75,7 +68,7 @@ ignore=F403
 
 [testenv:bashate]
 commands =
-    {[testenv:tests_clone]commands}
+    bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh"
     bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/common/test-bashate.sh"
 
 
@@ -89,7 +82,7 @@ deps =
 deps =
     {[testenv:ansible]deps}
 commands =
-    {[testenv:tests_clone]commands}
+    bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh"
     bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/common/test-ansible-syntax.sh"
 
 
@@ -97,7 +90,7 @@ commands =
 deps =
     {[testenv:ansible]deps}
 commands =
-    {[testenv:tests_clone]commands}
+    bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh"
     bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/common/test-ansible-lint.sh"
 
 
@@ -105,7 +98,7 @@ commands =
 deps =
     {[testenv:ansible]deps}
 commands =
-    {[testenv:tests_clone]commands}
+    bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh"
     bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/common/test-ansible-functional.sh"
 
 
@@ -115,12 +108,9 @@ deps =
 setenv =
     {[testenv]setenv}
     TEST_PLAYBOOK={toxinidir}/tests/test-upgrade.yml
+    CLONE_UPGRADE_TESTS=yes
 commands =
-    {[testenv:tests_clone]commands}
-    bash -c "if [ ! -d "{toxinidir}/tests/common/previous" ]; then \
-               git clone -b stable/ocata https://git.openstack.org/openstack/openstack-ansible-tests \
-                 {toxinidir}/tests/common/previous; \
-             fi"
+    bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh"
     bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/test-nova-upgrades.sh"
 
 
@@ -131,7 +121,7 @@ setenv =
     {[testenv]setenv}
     ANSIBLE_OVERRIDES={toxinidir}/tests/os_nova-overrides-lxd.yml
 commands =
-    {[testenv:tests_clone]commands}
+    bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/tests-repo-clone.sh"
     bash -c "{toxinidir}/tests/common/test-ansible-functional.sh"