diff --git a/global-requirements.txt b/global-requirements.txt
index 2e59b82dbe..b578071f80 100644
--- a/global-requirements.txt
+++ b/global-requirements.txt
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ castellan>=0.14.0 # Apache-2.0
 ceilometermiddleware>=1.1.0  # Apache-2.0
 cachetools>=2.0.0 # MIT License
 cffi>=1.1.2  # MIT
-cliff>=2.8.0  # Apache-2.0
+cliff>=2.8.0,!=2.9.0  # Apache-2.0
 cmd2>=0.6.7  # MIT
 cotyledon>=1.3.0  # Apache-2.0
 construct>=2.8.10 # MIT
diff --git a/upper-constraints.txt b/upper-constraints.txt
index 2a88895f95..f7368ff5c7 100644
--- a/upper-constraints.txt
+++ b/upper-constraints.txt
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ funcparserlib===0.3.6
 passlib===1.7.1
 dib-utils===0.0.11
 xlwt===1.3.0
-cliff===2.9.0
+cliff===2.8.0
 os-brick===1.15.2
 trollius===2.1
 scp===0.10.2