diff --git a/playbooks/base-minimal/README.rst b/playbooks/base-minimal/README.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e7756a07fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/base-minimal/README.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+base-minimal
+------------
+
+These playbooks are used to select a minimal subset of the roles included in
+the base playbooks.
+
+It will do nothing else than what is explicitely necessary for any job to run
+properly.
diff --git a/playbooks/base-minimal/post-logs.yaml b/playbooks/base-minimal/post-logs.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d67092cee6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/base-minimal/post-logs.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+- hosts: localhost
+  roles:
+    - role: add-fileserver
+      fileserver: "{{ site_logs }}"
+
+- hosts: "{{ site_logs.fqdn }}"
+  roles:
+    - role: upload-logs
+      zuul_log_url: "http://logs.openstack.org"
diff --git a/playbooks/base-minimal/post-ssh.yaml b/playbooks/base-minimal/post-ssh.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d793838ce6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/base-minimal/post-ssh.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+- hosts: all
+  roles:
+    - remove-build-sshkey
diff --git a/playbooks/base-minimal/pre.yaml b/playbooks/base-minimal/pre.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b9c34d9e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/base-minimal/pre.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+- hosts: all
+  roles:
+    - add-build-sshkey
+    - start-zuul-console
diff --git a/zuul.yaml b/zuul.yaml
index e344f66e6e..b05f98cf05 100644
--- a/zuul.yaml
+++ b/zuul.yaml
@@ -169,6 +169,29 @@
     secrets:
       - site_logs
 
+- job:
+    name: base-minimal
+    parent: null
+    description: |
+      A subset of what the 'base' job provides: the absolute minimum considered
+      required to run for any one job.
+      It doesn't set up cached git repositories, will not set up mirrors,
+      doesn't validate the node and does not generate an ARA report.
+      These tasks, if required, can be included by the dependant jobs
+      themselves on a need basis.
+    pre-run: playbooks/base-minimal/pre
+    post-run:
+      - playbooks/base-minimal/post-ssh
+      - playbooks/base-minimal/post-logs
+    roles:
+      - zuul: openstack-infra/zuul-jobs
+    timeout: 1800
+    nodes:
+      - name: ubuntu-xenial
+        label: ubuntu-xenial
+    secrets:
+      - site_logs
+
 - job:
     name: base-test
     parent: null