diff --git a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/defaults/main.yml b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/defaults/main.yml
index 09c5666c72..8c538380ae 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 # Copyright 2015, Serge van Ginderachter <serge@vanginderachter.be>
+# Copyright 2016 IBM Corp
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -13,10 +14,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-## APT Cache Options
-cache_timeout: 600
-
-# to user Ceph in OSA, you need to
+# to use Ceph in OSA, you need to
 # - have the needed pools and a client user (for glance, cinder and/or nova)
 #   pre-provisioned in your ceph cluster; OSA assumes to have root access to
 #   the monitor hosts
@@ -27,25 +25,19 @@ cache_timeout: 600
 # - cinder gets configured with ceph if there are cinder backends defined with
 #   the rbd driver (see openstack_user_config.yml.example)
 
-# Ceph GPG Keys
-ceph_gpg_keys:
-  - key_name: 'ceph'
-    keyserver: 'hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80'
-    fallback_keyserver: 'hkp://p80.pool.sks-keyservers.net:80'
-    hash_id: '0xe84ac2c0460f3994'
-
-# The apt-key command won't del a key when you give it the hash_id, so we have
-# to use the short key ID here instead.
-ceph_revoked_gpg_keys:
-  - '17ED316D'
-
-# Ceph Repositories
-ceph_apt_repo_url_region: "download"  # or "eu" for Netherlands based mirror
-ceph_stable_release: hammer
-ceph_apt_repo_url: "http://{{ ceph_apt_repo_url_region }}.ceph.com/debian-{{ ceph_stable_release }}/"
-ceph_apt_repo:
-  repo: "deb {{ ceph_apt_repo_url }} {{ ansible_lsb.codename }} main"
-  state: "present"
+# The ceph_pkg_source variable controls the install source for the Ceph packages.
+# Valid values include:
+#   * ceph This option installs Ceph from a ceph.com repo.  Additional variables to
+#          adjust items such as Ceph release and regional download mirror can be found
+#          in vars/*.yml
+#
+#   * uca  This option installs Ceph from the Ubuntu Cloud Archive. Additional variables
+#          to adjust items such as the OpenStack/Ceph release can be found in vars/*.yml.
+#
+#   * distro This options installs Ceph from the operating system's default repository and
+#            unlike the other options does not attempt to manage package keys or add additional
+#            package repositories.
+ceph_pkg_source: ceph
 
 ceph_apt_pinned_packages: [{ package: "*", release: Inktank,  priority: 1001 }]
 
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_all.yml b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_all.yml
index a045a8bec6..a11bc93b0e 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_all.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_all.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,18 @@
     - ceph-config
     - ceph-auth
 
+- name: Gather variables for each operating system
+  include_vars: "{{ item }}"
+  with_first_found:
+    - "{{ ansible_distribution | lower }}-{{ ansible_distribution_version | lower }}.yml"
+    - "{{ ansible_distribution | lower }}.yml"
+    - "{{ ansible_os_family | lower }}.yml"
+  tags:
+    - always
+
 - include:  ceph_preinstall.yml
+  when:
+    - ceph_pkg_source != 'distro'
   tags:     ceph-preinstall
 
 - include:  ceph_install.yml
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_install.yml b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_install.yml
index 4aaabd4159..48f7debcfb 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_install.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_install.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-# Copyright 2015, Serge van Ginderachter <serge@vanginderachter.be>
+# Copyright 2016 IBM Corp
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -13,35 +13,8 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-#TODO(evrardjp): Replace the next 2 tasks by a standard apt with cache
-#when https://github.com/ansible/ansible-modules-core/pull/1517 is merged
-#in 1.9.x or we move to 2.0 (if tested working)
-- name: Check apt last update file
-  stat:
-    path: /var/cache/apt
-  register: apt_cache_stat
+- include: ceph_install_apt.yml
+  when:
+    - ansible_pkg_mgr == 'apt'
   tags:
     - ceph-apt-packages
-
-- name: Update apt if needed
-  apt:
-    update_cache: yes
-  when: "ansible_date_time.epoch|float - apt_cache_stat.stat.mtime > {{cache_timeout}}"
-  tags:
-    - ceph-apt-packages
-
-- name: Install ceph packages
-  apt:
-    name: '{{ item.1 }}'
-    state: latest
-  register: install_packages
-  until: install_packages|success
-  retries: 5
-  delay: 2
-  with_subelements:
-  - ceph_components
-  - package
-  when: inventory_hostname in groups[item.0.component]
-  notify:
-  - Restart os services
-
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_install_apt.yml b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_install_apt.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5983fba7e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_install_apt.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+---
+# Copyright 2015, Serge van Ginderachter <serge@vanginderachter.be>
+#
+# 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.
+
+#TODO(evrardjp): Replace the next 2 tasks by a standard apt with cache
+#when https://github.com/ansible/ansible-modules-core/pull/1517 is merged
+#in 1.9.x or we move to 2.0 (if tested working)
+- name: Check apt last update file
+  stat:
+    path: /var/cache/apt
+  register: apt_cache_stat
+  tags:
+    - ceph-apt-packages
+
+- name: Update apt if needed
+  apt:
+    update_cache: yes
+  when: "ansible_date_time.epoch|float - apt_cache_stat.stat.mtime > {{cache_timeout}}"
+  tags:
+    - ceph-apt-packages
+
+- name: Install ceph packages
+  apt:
+    name: '{{ item.1 }}'
+    state: latest
+  register: install_packages
+  until: install_packages|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_subelements:
+  - ceph_components
+  - package
+  when: inventory_hostname in groups[item.0.component]
+  notify:
+  - Restart os services
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_preinstall.yml b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_preinstall.yml
index 419d949d30..7fbce34143 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_preinstall.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_preinstall.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 # Copyright 2015, Serge van Ginderachter <serge@vanginderachter.be>
+# Copyright 2016 IBM Corp
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -13,65 +14,8 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-- name: Remove revoked ceph apt-keys
-  apt_key:
-    id: "{{ item }}"
-    state: "absent"
-  register: revoke_keys
-  with_items: ceph_revoked_gpg_keys
+- include: ceph_preinstall_apt.yml
+  when:
+    - ansible_pkg_mgr == 'apt'
   tags:
     - ceph-apt-keys
-
-- name: Add ceph apt-keys
-  apt_key:
-    id: "{{ item.hash_id }}"
-    keyserver: "{{ item.keyserver | default(omit) }}"
-    data: "{{ item.data | default(omit) }}"
-    url: "{{ item.url | default(omit) }}"
-    state: "present"
-  register: add_keys
-  until: add_keys|success
-  ignore_errors: True
-  retries: 5
-  delay: 2
-  with_items: ceph_gpg_keys
-  tags:
-    - ceph-apt-keys
-
-- name: Add ceph apt-keys using fallback keyserver
-  apt_key:
-    id: "{{ item.hash_id }}"
-    keyserver: "{{ item.fallback_keyserver | default(omit) }}"
-    url: "{{ item.fallback_url | default(omit) }}"
-    state: "present"
-  register: add_keys_fallback
-  until: add_keys_fallback|success
-  retries: 5
-  delay: 2
-  with_items: ceph_gpg_keys
-  when: add_keys|failed and (item.fallback_keyserver is defined or item.fallback_url is defined)
-  tags:
-    - ceph-apt-keys
-
-- name: Add ceph repo(s)
-  apt_repository:
-    repo: "{{ ceph_apt_repo.repo }}"
-    state: "{{ ceph_apt_repo.state }}"
-  register: add_repos
-  until: add_repos|success
-  retries: 5
-  delay: 2
-  tags:
-    - ceph-repos
-
-# This is being added specifically for when a key is revoked, but should apply
-# to other tasks also.  The cache needs updating after changing keys but
-# ceph_install.yml (where packages get installed) only does so if cache > 600
-# seconds.
-- name: Update apt cache
-  apt:
-    update_cache: yes
-  when: revoke_keys|changed or add_keys|changed or add_keys_fallback|changed or add_repos|changed
-  tags:
-    - ceph-apt-keys
-    - ceph-repos
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_preinstall_apt.yml b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_preinstall_apt.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b49a4aa11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/tasks/ceph_preinstall_apt.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+---
+# Copyright 2016 IBM Corp
+#
+# 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: Remove revoked ceph apt-keys
+  apt_key:
+    id: "{{ item }}"
+    state: "absent"
+  register: revoke_keys
+  with_items: ceph_revoked_gpg_keys
+  when: ceph_pkg_source == 'ceph'
+  tags:
+    - ceph-apt-keys
+
+- name: Add ceph apt-keys
+  apt_key:
+    id: "{{ item.hash_id }}"
+    keyserver: "{{ item.keyserver | default(omit) }}"
+    data: "{{ item.data | default(omit) }}"
+    url: "{{ item.url | default(omit) }}"
+    state: "present"
+  register: add_keys
+  until: add_keys|success
+  ignore_errors: True
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: ceph_gpg_keys
+  when: ceph_pkg_source == 'ceph'
+  tags:
+    - ceph-apt-keys
+
+- name: Add ceph apt-keys using fallback keyserver
+  apt_key:
+    id: "{{ item.hash_id }}"
+    keyserver: "{{ item.fallback_keyserver | default(omit) }}"
+    url: "{{ item.fallback_url | default(omit) }}"
+    state: "present"
+  register: add_keys_fallback
+  until: add_keys_fallback|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: ceph_gpg_keys
+  when: ceph_pkg_source == 'ceph' and
+        add_keys|failed and
+        (item.fallback_keyserver is defined or
+         item.fallback_url is defined)
+  tags:
+    - ceph-apt-keys
+
+- name: add ubuntu cloud archive key package
+  apt:
+    pkg: ubuntu-cloud-keyring
+  register: add_keys
+  when: ceph_pkg_source == 'uca'
+  tags:
+    - ceph-apt-keys
+
+- name: Add ceph repo(s)
+  apt_repository:
+    repo: "{{ ceph_apt_repos[ceph_pkg_source].repo }}"
+    state: "{{ ceph_apt_repos[ceph_pkg_source].state }}"
+  register: add_repos
+  until: add_repos|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  tags:
+    - ceph-repos
+
+# This is being added specifically for when a key is revoked, but should apply
+# to other tasks also.  The cache needs updating after changing keys but
+# ceph_install.yml (where packages get installed) only does so if cache > 600
+# seconds.
+- name: Update apt cache
+  apt:
+    update_cache: yes
+  when: (revoke_keys|changed or
+        add_keys|changed or
+        add_keys_fallback|changed or
+        add_repos|changed)
+  tags:
+    - ceph-apt-keys
+    - ceph-repos
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/vars/ubuntu-14.04.yml b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/vars/ubuntu-14.04.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7297f478bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/vars/ubuntu-14.04.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+---
+# Copyright 2016 IBM Corp
+# Copyright 2015, Serge van Ginderachter <serge@vanginderachter.be>
+#
+# 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.
+
+## APT Cache Options
+cache_timeout: 600
+
+# Ceph GPG Keys
+ceph_gpg_keys:
+  - key_name: 'ceph'
+    keyserver: 'hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80'
+    fallback_keyserver: 'hkp://p80.pool.sks-keyservers.net:80'
+    hash_id: '0xe84ac2c0460f3994'
+
+# The apt-key command won't del a key when you give it the hash_id, so we have
+# to use the short key ID here instead.
+ceph_revoked_gpg_keys:
+  - '17ED316D'
+
+# Ceph.com repository variables
+ceph_apt_repo_url_region: "download"  # or "eu" for Netherlands based mirror
+ceph_stable_release: hammer
+ceph_apt_repo_url: "http://{{ ceph_apt_repo_url_region }}.ceph.com/debian-{{ ceph_stable_release }}/"
+
+# Ubuntu Cloud Archive variables
+uca_openstack_release: mitaka
+uca_apt_repo_url: "http://ubuntu-cloud.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu"
+uca_repo_dist: "{{ ansible_lsb.codename }}-updates/{{ uca_openstack_release }}"
+
+# Apt repositories
+ceph_apt_repos:
+    ceph:
+        repo: "deb {{ ceph_apt_repo_url }} {{ ansible_lsb.codename }} main"
+        state: "present"
+    uca:
+        repo: "deb {{ uca_apt_repo_url }} {{ uca_repo_dist }} main"
+        state: "present"
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/vars/ubuntu-16.04.yml b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/vars/ubuntu-16.04.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a39c8ff057
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/roles/ceph_client/vars/ubuntu-16.04.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+---
+# Copyright 2016 IBM Corp
+# Copyright 2015, Serge van Ginderachter <serge@vanginderachter.be>
+#
+# 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.
+
+## APT Cache Options
+cache_timeout: 600
+
+# Ceph GPG Keys
+ceph_gpg_keys:
+  - key_name: 'ceph'
+    keyserver: 'hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80'
+    fallback_keyserver: 'hkp://p80.pool.sks-keyservers.net:80'
+    hash_id: '0xe84ac2c0460f3994'
+
+# The apt-key command won't del a key when you give it the hash_id, so we have
+# to use the short key ID here instead.
+ceph_revoked_gpg_keys:
+  - '17ED316D'
+
+# Ceph.com repository variables
+ceph_apt_repo_url_region: "download"  # or "eu" for Netherlands based mirror
+ceph_stable_release: hammer
+ceph_apt_repo_url: "http://{{ ceph_apt_repo_url_region }}.ceph.com/debian-{{ ceph_stable_release }}/"
+
+# Ubuntu Cloud Archive variables
+# TODO(smatzek) Revisit the default uca release for 16.04 at newton-1
+uca_openstack_release: mitaka
+uca_apt_repo_url: "http://ubuntu-cloud.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu"
+uca_repo_dist: "{{ ansible_lsb.codename }}-updates/{{ uca_openstack_release }}"
+
+# Apt repositories
+ceph_apt_repos:
+    ceph:
+        repo: "deb {{ ceph_apt_repo_url }} {{ ansible_lsb.codename }} main"
+        state: "present"
+    uca:
+        repo: "deb {{ uca_apt_repo_url }} {{ uca_repo_dist }} main"
+        state: "present"
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/ceph-from-uca-and-distro-2fa04e03c39a61bc.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/ceph-from-uca-and-distro-2fa04e03c39a61bc.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d8f18d9977
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/ceph-from-uca-and-distro-2fa04e03c39a61bc.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Support had been added to install the ceph_client packages and
+    dependencies from Ceph.com, Ubuntu Cloud Archive (UCA), or the
+    operating system's default repository.
+
+    The ``ceph_pkg_source`` variable controls the install source for the
+    Ceph packages. Valid values include:
+
+    * ``ceph``: This option installs Ceph from a ceph.com repo. Additional
+      variables to adjust items such as Ceph release and regional download
+      mirror can be found in the variables files.
+
+    * ``uca``: This option installs Ceph from the Ubuntu Cloud Archive. Additional
+      variables to adjust items such as the OpenStack/Ceph release can be
+      found in the variables files.
+
+    * ``distro``: This options installs Ceph from the operating system's default
+      repository and unlike the other options does not attempt to manage
+      package keys or add additional package repositories.