diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index f22d6fa4..81adfe79 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -134,8 +134,7 @@ tempest_swift_discoverable_apis:
   - slo
   - tempurl
 
-tempest_volume_backend1_name: backend1
-tempest_volume_backend2_name: backend2
+tempest_volume_backend_names: [ backend1, backend2 ]
 tempest_volume_backup_enabled: False
 tempest_volume_multi_backend_enabled: False
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/update-multi-backend-options-4eb27290058401d3.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/update-multi-backend-options-4eb27290058401d3.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a6e432a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/update-multi-backend-options-4eb27290058401d3.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+features:
+  - Added new variable ``tempest_volume_backend_names`` and updated
+    templates/tempest.conf.j2 to point ``backend_names`` at this variable
+deprecations:
+  - Removed ``tempest_volume_backend1_name`` and
+    ``tempest_volume_backend1_name`` since ``backend1_name`` and
+    ``backend2_name`` were removed from tempest in commit 27905cc (merged
+    26/04/2016)
diff --git a/templates/tempest.conf.j2 b/templates/tempest.conf.j2
index bcc83580..0210dcdd 100644
--- a/templates/tempest.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/tempest.conf.j2
@@ -162,9 +162,7 @@ floating_ip_range = 10.0.0.0/29
 [volume]
 endpoint_type = internalURL
 # NOTE: These backends are only tested when multi_backend is enabled
-backend1 = {{ tempest_volume_backend1_name }}
-backend2  = {{ tempest_volume_backend2_name }}
-backend_names = [ backend1, backend2 ] 
+backend_names = {{ tempest_volume_backend_names | join(',') }}
 
 
 [volume-feature-enabled]