diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 600e0573..47ddf237 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -154,6 +154,10 @@ swift_account_disable_fallocate: "{{ swift_disable_fallocate }}"
 swift_container_disable_fallocate: "{{ swift_disable_fallocate }}"
 swift_object_disable_fallocate: "{{ swift_disable_fallocate }}"
 
+# This variable will protect against changing swift_hash_path_* variables unintentionally.
+# If you wish to change them intentionally set the swift_force_change_hashes variable to True.
+swift_force_change_hashes: False
+
 ## Swift ceilometer variables
 swift_reselleradmin_role: ResellerAdmin
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/swift-force-hash-change-45b09eeb8b0368a6.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/swift-force-hash-change-45b09eeb8b0368a6.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dd109cdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/swift-force-hash-change-45b09eeb8b0368a6.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+features:
+  - The ``openstack-ansible-os_swift`` role will now prevent
+    deployers from changing the ``swift_hash_path_prefix`` and
+    ``swift_hash_path_suffix`` variables on clusters that already
+    have a value set in ``/etc/swift/swift.conf``.
+    You can set the new ``swift_force_change_hashes`` variable to
+    ``True`` to force the ``swift_hash_path_`` variables to be
+    changed.
+    We recommend setting this by running the os-swift.yml playbook
+    with ``-e swift_force_change_hashes=True``, to avoid changing
+    the ``swift_hash_path_`` variables unintentionally.
+    Use with caution, changing the ``swift_hash_path_`` values
+    causes end-user impact.
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index ad2ed2b1..3273674c 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@
   tags:
     - always
 
+# Check the swift_hash_path_* variables haven't changed
+- include: swift_check_hashes.yml
+  when:
+    - not swift_force_change_hashes | bool
+  tags:
+    - swift-config
+
 - include: swift_pre_install.yml
   when:
     - swift_do_setup | bool
diff --git a/tasks/swift_check_hashes.yml b/tasks/swift_check_hashes.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..37a7afc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/swift_check_hashes.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+---
+# Copyright 2016, 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.
+
+- name: Test if swift.conf exists
+  stat:
+    path: "/etc/swift/swift.conf"
+  register: swift_conf
+
+- name: Get value of swift_hash_path_suffix from file
+  command: "awk '/swift_hash_path_suffix/{ print $3 }' /etc/swift/swift.conf"
+  register: swift_conf_hash_path_suffix
+  when:
+    - swift_conf.stat.exists | bool
+
+- name: Fail if swift_hash_path_suffix doesnt match file value
+  fail:
+    msg: >
+      "The swift_hash_path_suffix variable does not match what is in the file.
+       Check your swift_hash_path_suffix setting in your user_*.yml files in /etc/openstack_deploy
+       and compare to the current value in /etc/swift/swift.conf on the host.
+       If you are sure you want to change this variable you can force change your
+       swift_hash_path_* variables by setting 'swift_force_change_hashes: True'"
+  when:
+    - swift_conf.stat.exists | bool
+    - swift_hash_path_suffix != swift_conf_hash_path_suffix.stdout
+
+- name: Get value of swift_hash_path_prefix from file
+  command: "awk '/swift_hash_path_prefix/{ print $3 }' /etc/swift/swift.conf"
+  register: swift_conf_hash_path_prefix
+  when:
+    - swift_conf.stat.exists | bool
+
+- name: Fail if swift_hash_path_prefix doesnt match file value
+  fail:
+    msg: >
+      "The swift_hash_path_prefix variable does not match what is in the file.
+       Check your swift_hash_path_prefix setting in your user_*.yml files in /etc/openstack_deploy
+       and compare to the current value in /etc/swift/swift.conf on the host.
+       If you are sure you want to change this variable you can force change your
+       swift_hash_path_* variables by setting 'swift_force_change_hashes: True'"
+  when:
+    - swift_conf.stat.exists | bool
+    - swift_hash_path_prefix != swift_conf_hash_path_prefix.stdout