diff --git a/etc/tempest.conf.sample b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
index e6442c7b9a..87bf758b91 100644
--- a/etc/tempest.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
@@ -198,12 +198,15 @@ catalog_type = image
 # catalog, the first found one is used.
 #region = RegionOne
 
-# The version of the OpenStack Images API to use
-api_version = 1
-
 # HTTP image to use for glance http image testing
 http_image = http://download.cirros-cloud.net/0.3.1/cirros-0.3.1-x86_64-uec.tar.gz
 
+[image-feature-enabled]
+# Is the image api_v1 enabled
+api_v1 = True
+# Is the image api_v2 enabled
+api_v2 = True
+
 [network]
 # This section contains configuration options used when executing tests
 # against the OpenStack Network API.
diff --git a/tempest/api/image/base.py b/tempest/api/image/base.py
index 4f54a157f1..ab0cb00a9f 100644
--- a/tempest/api/image/base.py
+++ b/tempest/api/image/base.py
@@ -74,17 +74,6 @@ class BaseImageTest(tempest.test.BaseTestCase):
         cls.created_images.append(image['id'])
         return resp, image
 
-    @classmethod
-    def _check_version(cls, version):
-        __, versions = cls.client.get_versions()
-        if version == 'v2.0':
-            if 'v2.0' in versions:
-                return True
-        elif version == 'v1.0':
-            if 'v1.1' in versions or 'v1.0' in versions:
-                return True
-        return False
-
 
 class BaseV1ImageTest(BaseImageTest):
 
@@ -92,7 +81,7 @@ class BaseV1ImageTest(BaseImageTest):
     def setUpClass(cls):
         super(BaseV1ImageTest, cls).setUpClass()
         cls.client = cls.os.image_client
-        if not cls._check_version('v1.0'):
+        if not cls.config.image_feature_enabled.api_v1:
             msg = "Glance API v1 not supported"
             raise cls.skipException(msg)
 
@@ -103,6 +92,6 @@ class BaseV2ImageTest(BaseImageTest):
     def setUpClass(cls):
         super(BaseV2ImageTest, cls).setUpClass()
         cls.client = cls.os.image_client_v2
-        if not cls._check_version('v2.0'):
+        if not cls.config.image_feature_enabled.api_v2:
             msg = "Glance API v2 not supported"
             raise cls.skipException(msg)
diff --git a/tempest/config.py b/tempest/config.py
index 4bae9e4ec8..effa5a1b21 100644
--- a/tempest/config.py
+++ b/tempest/config.py
@@ -252,9 +252,6 @@ image_group = cfg.OptGroup(name='image',
                            title="Image Service Options")
 
 ImageGroup = [
-    cfg.StrOpt('api_version',
-               default='1',
-               help="Version of the API"),
     cfg.StrOpt('catalog_type',
                default='image',
                help='Catalog type of the Image service.'),
@@ -270,6 +267,17 @@ ImageGroup = [
                help='http accessible image')
 ]
 
+image_feature_group = cfg.OptGroup(name='image-feature-enabled',
+                                   title='Enabled image service features')
+
+ImageFeaturesGroup = [
+    cfg.BoolOpt('api_v2',
+                default=True,
+                help="Is the v2 image API enabled"),
+    cfg.BoolOpt('api_v1',
+                default=True,
+                help="Is the v1 image API enabled"),
+]
 
 network_group = cfg.OptGroup(name='network',
                              title='Network Service Options')
@@ -638,6 +646,7 @@ class TempestConfig:
                            ComputeFeaturesGroup)
         register_opt_group(cfg.CONF, identity_group, IdentityGroup)
         register_opt_group(cfg.CONF, image_group, ImageGroup)
+        register_opt_group(cfg.CONF, image_feature_group, ImageFeaturesGroup)
         register_opt_group(cfg.CONF, network_group, NetworkGroup)
         register_opt_group(cfg.CONF, volume_group, VolumeGroup)
         register_opt_group(cfg.CONF, volume_feature_group,
@@ -658,6 +667,7 @@ class TempestConfig:
         self.compute_feature_enabled = cfg.CONF['compute-feature-enabled']
         self.identity = cfg.CONF.identity
         self.images = cfg.CONF.image
+        self.image_feature_enabled = cfg.CONF['image-feature-enabled']
         self.network = cfg.CONF.network
         self.volume = cfg.CONF.volume
         self.volume_feature_enabled = cfg.CONF['volume-feature-enabled']