diff --git a/etc/tempest.conf.sample b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
index 95a4884f99..a07af1ae4c 100644
--- a/etc/tempest.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@
 # AWS Access Key (string value)
 #aws_access=<None>
 
+# AWS Zone for EC2 tests (string value)
+#aws_zone=nova
+
 # S3 Materials Path (string value)
 #s3_materials_path=/opt/stack/devstack/files/images/s3-materials/cirros-0.3.0
 
diff --git a/tempest/config.py b/tempest/config.py
index 05a493c786..c2ce698ea6 100644
--- a/tempest/config.py
+++ b/tempest/config.py
@@ -594,6 +594,9 @@ BotoGroup = [
     cfg.StrOpt('aws_access',
                default=None,
                help="AWS Access Key"),
+    cfg.StrOpt('aws_zone',
+               default="nova",
+               help="AWS Zone for EC2 tests"),
     cfg.StrOpt('s3_materials_path',
                default="/opt/stack/devstack/files/images/"
                        "s3-materials/cirros-0.3.0",
diff --git a/tempest/services/botoclients.py b/tempest/services/botoclients.py
index b52d48c449..7616a9926c 100644
--- a/tempest/services/botoclients.py
+++ b/tempest/services/botoclients.py
@@ -179,19 +179,6 @@ class APIClientEC2(BotoClientBase):
                            'revoke_security_group',
                            'revoke_security_group_egress'))
 
-    def get_good_zone(self):
-        """
-        :rtype: BaseString
-        :return: Returns with the first available zone name
-        """
-        for zone in self.get_all_zones():
-            # NOTE(afazekas): zone.region_name was None
-            if (zone.state == "available" and
-                zone.region.name == self.connection_data["region"].name):
-                return zone.name
-        else:
-            raise IndexError("Don't have a good zone")
-
 
 class ObjectClientS3(BotoClientBase):
 
diff --git a/tempest/thirdparty/boto/test_ec2_instance_run.py b/tempest/thirdparty/boto/test_ec2_instance_run.py
index bbfbb797ac..e6a163806c 100644
--- a/tempest/thirdparty/boto/test_ec2_instance_run.py
+++ b/tempest/thirdparty/boto/test_ec2_instance_run.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class InstanceRunTest(boto_test.BotoTestCase):
                                     ": requires ami/aki/ari manifest")))
         cls.s3_client = cls.os.s3_client
         cls.ec2_client = cls.os.ec2api_client
-        cls.zone = cls.ec2_client.get_good_zone()
+        cls.zone = CONF.boto.aws_zone
         cls.materials_path = CONF.boto.s3_materials_path
         ami_manifest = CONF.boto.ami_manifest
         aki_manifest = CONF.boto.aki_manifest
diff --git a/tempest/thirdparty/boto/test_ec2_volumes.py b/tempest/thirdparty/boto/test_ec2_volumes.py
index 6a771e5817..12dea18d45 100644
--- a/tempest/thirdparty/boto/test_ec2_volumes.py
+++ b/tempest/thirdparty/boto/test_ec2_volumes.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class EC2VolumesTest(boto_test.BotoTestCase):
             raise cls.skipException(skip_msg)
 
         cls.client = cls.os.ec2api_client
-        cls.zone = cls.client.get_good_zone()
+        cls.zone = CONF.boto.aws_zone
 
     @test.attr(type='smoke')
     def test_create_get_delete(self):