diff --git a/tests/test_inventory.py b/tests/test_inventory.py
index d7e1165bcd..6c8eefed5e 100644
--- a/tests/test_inventory.py
+++ b/tests/test_inventory.py
@@ -46,6 +46,206 @@ def get_inventory():
         cleanup()
 
 
+class TestAnsibleInventoryFormatConstraints(unittest.TestCase):
+    inventory = None
+
+    expected_groups = [
+        'aio1_containers',
+        'all',
+        'all_containers',
+        'aodh_alarm_evaluator',
+        'aodh_alarm_notifier',
+        'aodh_all',
+        'aodh_api',
+        'aodh_container',
+        'aodh_listener',
+        'ceilometer_agent_central',
+        'ceilometer_agent_compute',
+        'ceilometer_agent_notification',
+        'ceilometer_all',
+        'ceilometer_api',
+        'ceilometer_api_container',
+        'ceilometer_collector',
+        'ceilometer_collector_container',
+        'cinder_all',
+        'cinder_api',
+        'cinder_api_container',
+        'cinder_backup',
+        'cinder_scheduler',
+        'cinder_scheduler_container',
+        'cinder_volume',
+        'cinder_volumes_container',
+        'compute_all',
+        'compute_containers',
+        'compute_hosts',
+        'galera',
+        'galera_all',
+        'galera_container',
+        'glance_all',
+        'glance_api',
+        'glance_container',
+        'glance_registry',
+        'haproxy',
+        'haproxy_all',
+        'haproxy_container',
+        'haproxy_containers',
+        'haproxy_hosts',
+        'heat_all',
+        'heat_api',
+        'heat_api_cfn',
+        'heat_api_cloudwatch',
+        'heat_apis_container',
+        'heat_engine',
+        'heat_engine_container',
+        'horizon',
+        'horizon_all',
+        'horizon_container',
+        'hosts',
+        'identity_all',
+        'identity_containers',
+        'identity_hosts',
+        'infra_containers',
+        'infra_hosts',
+        'keystone',
+        'keystone_all',
+        'keystone_container',
+        'log_all',
+        'log_containers',
+        'log_hosts',
+        'memcached',
+        'memcached_all',
+        'memcached_container',
+        'metering-alarm_containers',
+        'metering-alarm_hosts',
+        'metering-compute_container',
+        'metering-compute_containers',
+        'metering-compute_hosts',
+        'metering-infra_containers',
+        'metering-infra_hosts',
+        'network_all',
+        'network_containers',
+        'network_hosts',
+        'neutron_agent',
+        'neutron_agents_container',
+        'neutron_all',
+        'neutron_dhcp_agent',
+        'neutron_l3_agent',
+        'neutron_lbaas_agent',
+        'neutron_linuxbridge_agent',
+        'neutron_metadata_agent',
+        'neutron_metering_agent',
+        'neutron_server',
+        'neutron_server_container',
+        'nova_all',
+        'nova_api_metadata',
+        'nova_api_metadata_container',
+        'nova_api_os_compute',
+        'nova_api_os_compute_container',
+        'nova_cert',
+        'nova_cert_container',
+        'nova_compute',
+        'nova_compute_container',
+        'nova_conductor',
+        'nova_conductor_container',
+        'nova_console',
+        'nova_console_container',
+        'nova_scheduler',
+        'nova_scheduler_container',
+        'os-infra_all',
+        'os-infra_containers',
+        'os-infra_hosts',
+        'pkg_repo',
+        'rabbit_mq_container',
+        'rabbitmq',
+        'rabbitmq_all',
+        'remote',
+        'remote_containers',
+        'repo-infra_all',
+        'repo-infra_containers',
+        'repo-infra_hosts',
+        'repo_all',
+        'repo_container',
+        'rsyslog',
+        'rsyslog_all',
+        'rsyslog_container',
+        'shared-infra_all',
+        'shared-infra_containers',
+        'shared-infra_hosts',
+        'storage-infra_all',
+        'storage-infra_containers',
+        'storage-infra_hosts',
+        'storage_all',
+        'storage_containers',
+        'storage_hosts',
+        'swift-proxy_containers',
+        'swift-proxy_hosts',
+        'swift-remote_containers',
+        'swift-remote_hosts',
+        'swift_acc',
+        'swift_acc_container',
+        'swift_all',
+        'swift_cont',
+        'swift_cont_container',
+        'swift_containers',
+        'swift_hosts',
+        'swift_obj',
+        'swift_obj_container',
+        'swift_proxy',
+        'swift_proxy_container',
+        'swift_remote',
+        'swift_remote_all',
+        'swift_remote_container',
+        'utility',
+        'utility_all',
+        'utility_container',
+    ]
+
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        cls.inventory = get_inventory()
+
+    def test_meta(self):
+        meta = self.inventory['_meta']
+        self.assertIsNotNone(meta, "_meta missing from inventory")
+        self.assertIsInstance(meta, dict, "_meta is not a dict")
+
+    def test_hostvars(self):
+        hostvars = self.inventory['_meta']['hostvars']
+        self.assertIsNotNone(hostvars, "hostvars missing from _meta")
+        self.assertIsInstance(hostvars, dict, "hostvars is not a dict")
+
+    def test_group_vars_all(self):
+        group_vars_all = self.inventory['all']
+        self.assertIsNotNone(group_vars_all,
+                             "group vars all missing from inventory")
+        self.assertIsInstance(group_vars_all, dict,
+                              "group vars all is not a dict")
+
+        the_vars = group_vars_all['vars']
+        self.assertIsNotNone(the_vars,
+                             "vars missing from group vars all")
+        self.assertIsInstance(the_vars, dict,
+                              "vars in group vars all is not a dict")
+
+    def test_expected_host_groups_present(self):
+
+        for group in self.expected_groups:
+            the_group = self.inventory[group]
+            self.assertIsNotNone(the_group,
+                                 "Required host group: %s is missing "
+                                 "from inventory" % group)
+            self.assertIsInstance(the_group, dict)
+
+            if group != 'all':
+                self.assertIn('hosts', the_group)
+                self.assertIsInstance(the_group['hosts'], list)
+
+    def test_only_expected_host_groups_present(self):
+        all_keys = list(self.expected_groups)
+        all_keys.append('_meta')
+        self.assertEqual(set(all_keys), set(self.inventory.keys()))
+
+
 class TestDuplicateIps(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         # Allow custom assertion errors.