diff --git a/playbooks/inventory/group_vars/heat_all.yml b/playbooks/inventory/group_vars/heat_all.yml
index adff6a8c98..91b6a08c56 100644
--- a/playbooks/inventory/group_vars/heat_all.yml
+++ b/playbooks/inventory/group_vars/heat_all.yml
@@ -18,3 +18,7 @@ heat_service_in_ldap: "{{ service_ldap_backend_enabled }}"
 
 # Ensure that the package state matches the global setting
 heat_package_state: "{{ package_state }}"
+
+# Only enable the heat cinder backups functionality if the cinder backup
+# service is enabled.
+heat_cinder_backups_enabled: "{{ (cinder_service_backup_program_enabled is defined and cinder_service_backup_program_enabled | bool) | ternary(True, False) }}"
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/heat-using-cinder-backups-f9b4837d25f4b8b7.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/heat-using-cinder-backups-f9b4837d25f4b8b7.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..74c15438b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/heat-using-cinder-backups-f9b4837d25f4b8b7.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    If the cinder backup service is enabled with
+    ``cinder_service_backup_program_enabled: True``, then heat will be
+    configured to use the cinder backup service. The
+    ``heat_cinder_backups_enabled`` variable will automatically be set to
+    ``True``.