diff --git a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/defaults/main.yml b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/defaults/main.yml
index a73169be36..d7b38c9a7f 100644
--- a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/defaults/main.yml
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ bootstrap_host_data_disk2_formats:
   xfs: xfs
   dir: ext4
   lvm: ext2
+  overlayfs: ext4
 
 bootstrap_host_format_options:
   btrfs: '--metadata single --data single --mixed'
@@ -178,15 +179,15 @@ bootstrap_host_format_options:
 # Set the data disk mount options.
 bootstrap_host_data_mount_options:
   zfs: "defaults"
-  btrfs: "noatime,nodiratime,compress=lzo,commit=120,space_cache=v2 }}"
+  btrfs: "noatime,nodiratime,compress=lzo,commit=120,space_cache=v2"
   xfs: "noatime,nodiratime,logbufs=8,logbsize=256k"
   ext4: "noatime,nobh,barrier=0,data=writeback"
   dir: "defaults"
   lvm: "defaults"
   swap: "%%"
 
-bootstrap_host_data_disk2_fs: "{{ bootstrap_host_data_disk2_formats[lxc_container_backing_store] }}"
-bootstrap_host_data_disk2_fs_mount_options: "{{ bootstrap_host_data_mount_options[lxc_container_backing_store] }}"
+bootstrap_host_data_disk2_fs: "{{ bootstrap_host_data_disk2_formats[_lxc_container_backing_store] }}"
+bootstrap_host_data_disk2_fs_mount_options: "{{ bootstrap_host_data_mount_options[bootstrap_host_data_disk2_fs] }}"
 bootstrap_host_data_disk2_path: '/var/lib/lxc'
 
 ### Optional Settings ###
@@ -198,6 +199,3 @@ bootstrap_host_data_disk2_path: '/var/lib/lxc'
 
 # Set the install method for the deployment. Options are ['source', 'distro']
 bootstrap_host_install_method: "{{ lookup('env', 'INSTALL_METHOD') | default('source', true)  }}"
-
-# Set the lxc backing store for the job
-lxc_container_backing_store: dir
diff --git a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/tasks/main.yml b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/tasks/main.yml
index d90f1fc8a9..bd9768af1a 100644
--- a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/tasks/main.yml
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
   when:
     - bootstrap_host_loopback_zfs | bool
     - bootstrap_host_data_disk_device == None
-    - lxc_container_backing_store == 'zfs'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store == 'zfs'
   args:
     apply:
       tags:
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
   when:
     - bootstrap_host_loopback_btrfs | bool
     - bootstrap_host_data_disk_device == None
-    - lxc_container_backing_store == 'btrfs'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store == 'btrfs'
   args:
     apply:
       tags:
diff --git a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/tasks/prepare_data_disk.yml b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/tasks/prepare_data_disk.yml
index 12c68794fe..f489ccf2d6 100644
--- a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/tasks/prepare_data_disk.yml
+++ b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/tasks/prepare_data_disk.yml
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@
     opts: "{{ bootstrap_host_format_options[bootstrap_host_data_disk2_fs] | default(omit) }}"
   when:
     - bootstrap_host_data_disk_device_force | bool
-    - lxc_container_backing_store != 'lvm'
-    - lxc_container_backing_store != 'zfs'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store != 'lvm'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store != 'zfs'
   tags:
     - format-data-partitions
 
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@
         state: 'started'
         enabled: true
   when:
-    - lxc_container_backing_store != 'lvm'
-    - lxc_container_backing_store != 'zfs'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store != 'lvm'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store != 'zfs'
   tags:
     - data-config
 
@@ -119,13 +119,13 @@
     creates: /pool
   when:
     - bootstrap_host_data_disk_device_force | bool
-    - lxc_container_backing_store == 'zfs'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store == 'zfs'
 
 - name: Create the ZFS pool/lxc volume
   shell: "(zfs list | grep lxc) || zfs create -o mountpoint=/var/lib/lxc pool/lxc"
   when:
     - bootstrap_host_data_disk_device_force | bool
-    - lxc_container_backing_store == 'zfs'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store == 'zfs'
   tags:
     - skip_ansible_lint
 
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@
   args:
     creates: "/openstack/lxc.pvcreate"
   when:
-    - lxc_container_backing_store == 'lvm'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store == 'lvm'
   tags:
     - skip_ansible_lint
     - data-config
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
   command: "pvscan"
   changed_when: false
   when:
-    - lxc_container_backing_store == 'lvm'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store == 'lvm'
   tags:
     - cinder-lvm-pv
 
@@ -152,6 +152,6 @@
     vg: lxc
     pvs: "/dev/{{ _bootstrap_host_data_disk_device }}2"
   when:
-    - lxc_container_backing_store == 'lvm'
+    - _lxc_container_backing_store == 'lvm'
   tags:
     - data-config
diff --git a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/templates/user_variables.aio.yml.j2 b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/templates/user_variables.aio.yml.j2
index 75fcb59045..0d1e7ca0d7 100644
--- a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/templates/user_variables.aio.yml.j2
+++ b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/templates/user_variables.aio.yml.j2
@@ -229,9 +229,10 @@ lxc_image_cache_server_mirrors:
 cache_timeout: {{ cache_timeout }}
 {% endif %}
 
-# The container backing store is set to 'machinectl' to speed up the
-# AIO build time. Options are: [machinectl, overlayfs, btrfs, zfs, dir, lvm]
-lxc_container_backing_store: "{{ lxc_container_backing_store }}"
+lxc_container_backing_store: {{ _lxc_container_backing_store }}
+{% if _lxc_container_backing_store == 'zfs' %}
+lxc_container_zfs_root_name: "osa-test-pool/lxc"
+{% endif %}
 
 # bind mount the zuul repos into the containers
 lxc_container_bind_mounts:
diff --git a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/vars/main.yml b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/vars/main.yml
index ea51d55266..97ec0f087d 100644
--- a/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/vars/main.yml
+++ b/tests/roles/bootstrap-host/vars/main.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,22 @@
 
 bootstrap_host_scenarios: "{{ (bootstrap_host_scenario.split('_') | reject('equalto', '')) | list }}"
 
+_lxc_container_backing_store: |-
+  {% if 'zfs' in bootstrap_host_scenarios %}
+  {%   set store = 'zfs' %}
+  {% elif 'btrfs' in bootstrap_host_scenarios %}
+  {%   set store = 'btrfs' %}
+  {% elif 'dir' in bootstrap_host_scenarios %}
+  {%   set store = 'dir' %}
+  {% elif 'lvm' in bootstrap_host_scenarios %}
+  {%   set store = 'lvm' %}
+  {% elif 'overlayfs' in bootstrap_host_scenarios %}
+  {%   set store = 'overlayfs' %}
+  {% else %}
+  {%   set store = 'dir' %}
+  {% endif %}
+  {{ store }}
+
 # Expand the scenario list to include specific services that are being deployed
 # as part of the scenario
 bootstrap_host_scenarios_expanded: |-