diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 5ca4385..13514bb 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 # for the service setup. The host must already have
 # clouds.yaml properly configured.
 trove_service_setup_host: "{{ openstack_service_setup_host | default('localhost') }}"
+trove_service_setup_host_python_interpreter: "{{ openstack_service_setup_host_python_interpreter | default((trove_service_setup_host == 'localhost') | ternary(ansible_playbook_python, ansible_python['executable'])) }}"
 
 trove_package_state: "latest"
 trove_pip_package_state: "latest"
diff --git a/tasks/trove_service_setup.yml b/tasks/trove_service_setup.yml
index 634cc2f..93bfc13 100644
--- a/tasks/trove_service_setup.yml
+++ b/tasks/trove_service_setup.yml
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@
 - name: Setup the service
   delegate_to: "{{ trove_service_setup_host }}"
   vars:
-    ansible_python_interpreter: >-
-      {{ (trove_service_setup_host == 'localhost') | ternary(ansible_playbook_python, ansible_python['executable']) }}
+    ansible_python_interpreter: "{{ trove_service_setup_host_python_interpreter }}"
   block:
     - name: Add service to the keystone service catalog
       os_keystone_service: