diff --git a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/defaults/main.yml b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/defaults/main.yml
index c916acb3c..8de313b35 100644
--- a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/defaults/main.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ tripleo_cephadm_container_image: "ceph"
 tripleo_cephadm_container_tag: "v15"
 tripleo_cephadm_container_cli: "podman"
 tripleo_cephadm_container_options: "--net=host --ipc=host"
-tripleo_cephadm_admin_keyring: "{{ tripleo_cephadm_config_home }}/{{ tripleo_cephadm_cluster }}.client.admin.keyring"
+tripleo_cephadm_keyring_prefix: "{{ tripleo_cephadm_config_home }}/{{ tripleo_cephadm_cluster }}.client"
+tripleo_cephadm_admin_keyring: "{{ tripleo_cephadm_keyring_prefix }}.admin.keyring"
 tripleo_cephadm_conf: "{{ tripleo_cephadm_config_home }}/{{ tripleo_cephadm_cluster }}.conf"
 tripleo_cephadm_bootstrap_conf: "/home/{{ tripleo_cephadm_ssh_user }}/bootstrap_{{ tripleo_cephadm_cluster }}.conf"
 # path on ansible host (i.e. undercloud) of the ceph spec
diff --git a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/tasks/ceph_cli.yaml b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/tasks/ceph_cli.yaml
index 9896bf017..2d65e9a1d 100644
--- a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/tasks/ceph_cli.yaml
+++ b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/tasks/ceph_cli.yaml
@@ -33,8 +33,11 @@
       {% endif %}
       --entrypoint {{ ceph_command | default('ceph') }}
       {{ tripleo_cephadm_container_ns }}/{{ tripleo_cephadm_container_image }}:{{ tripleo_cephadm_container_tag }}
-      {% if ceph_command|default('ceph') == 'ceph' -%}
+      {% if ceph_command|default('ceph') == 'ceph' or ceph_command|default('ceph') == 'rados' -%}
         {% if not admin_daemon|default(false) -%}
-        --fsid {{ tripleo_cephadm_fsid }} -c {{ tripleo_cephadm_conf }} -k {{ tripleo_cephadm_admin_keyring }}
+        --fsid {{ tripleo_cephadm_fsid }} -c {{ tripleo_cephadm_conf }} -k {{ tripleo_cephadm_keyring_prefix }}.{{ select_keyring| default('admin') }}.keyring
+        {%- endif %}
+        {% if external_cluster|default(false) -%}
+        -n client.{{ select_keyring }}
         {%- endif %}
       {%- endif %}
diff --git a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/tasks/nfs.yaml b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/tasks/nfs.yaml
index 9ed1344ef..da89308b5 100644
--- a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/tasks/nfs.yaml
+++ b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/tasks/nfs.yaml
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@
   include_tasks: ceph_cli.yaml
   vars:
     ceph_command: 'rados'
+    # ceph cli needs manila cephx keyring if admin is not available
+    select_keyring: "{{ 'manila' if groups['ceph_mon'] | default([]) | length == 0 else 'admin' }}"
+    # when ceph is external and admin keyring is not available we're passing -n client.{{ selected_keyring }}
+    external_cluster: "{{ true if groups['ceph_mon'] | default([]) | length == 0 else false }}"
 
 - name: check if rados index object exists
   shell: |
diff --git a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/templates/ceph-nfs.service.j2 b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/templates/ceph-nfs.service.j2
index 23cc30a45..388a63bc3 100644
--- a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/templates/ceph-nfs.service.j2
+++ b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_cephadm/templates/ceph-nfs.service.j2
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/{{ container_cli }} rm --storage ceph-nfs-%i
 ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/mkdir -p /var/log/ceph /var/log/ganesha
 {% endif %}
 ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/{{ container_cli }} rm ceph-nfs-%i
-ExecStartPre={{ '/bin/mkdir' if ansible_facts['os_family'] == 'Debian' else '/usr/bin/mkdir' }} -p /etc/ceph /etc/ganesha /var/lib/nfs/ganesha /var/log/ganesha
+ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/mkdir -p /etc/ceph /etc/ganesha /var/lib/nfs/ganesha /var/log/ganesha
 ExecStart=/usr/bin/{{ container_cli }} run --rm --net=host \
   -d --log-driver journald --conmon-pidfile /%t/%n-pid --cidfile /%t/%n-cid \
   -v /var/lib/ceph:/var/lib/ceph:z \
diff --git a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_run_cephadm/tasks/prepare.yml b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_run_cephadm/tasks/prepare.yml
index 150abe896..0f470c9fe 100644
--- a/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_run_cephadm/tasks/prepare.yml
+++ b/tripleo_ansible/roles/tripleo_run_cephadm/tasks/prepare.yml
@@ -83,32 +83,35 @@
              | combine(cephfs_data|default({}))
              | to_nice_yaml }}"
 
-- name: Set bootstrap host
-  set_fact:
-    tripleo_cephadm_bootstrap_host: "{{ groups['ceph_mon'][0] }}"
+- name: Configure boostrap host info for cephadm
+  when: "{{  groups['ceph_mon'] | default([]) | length > 0 }}"
+  block:
+    - name: Set bootstrap host
+      set_fact:
+        tripleo_cephadm_bootstrap_host: "{{ groups['ceph_mon'][0] }}"
 
-- name: Set first monitor IP
-  set_fact:
-    tripleo_cephadm_first_mon_ip: "{{ hostvars[tripleo_cephadm_bootstrap_host][tripleo_run_cephadm_net] |
-                      default(ansible_host) }}"
-  vars:
-    tripleo_run_cephadm_net: "{{ service_net_map['ceph_mon_network']|default('') + '_ip' }}"
+    - name: Set first monitor IP
+      set_fact:
+        tripleo_cephadm_first_mon_ip: "{{ hostvars[tripleo_cephadm_bootstrap_host][tripleo_run_cephadm_net] |
+                          default(ansible_host) }}"
+      vars:
+        tripleo_run_cephadm_net: "{{ service_net_map['ceph_mon_network']|default('') + '_ip' }}"
 
-- name: genereate ceph_spec for bootstrap
-  ceph_spec_bootstrap:
-    new_ceph_spec: "{{ tripleo_run_cephadm_spec_path }}"
-    tripleo_ansible_inventory: "{{ inventory_file }}"
-    fqdn: "{{ ceph_spec_fqdn }}"
-    osd_spec: "{{ ceph_osd_spec }}"
-  when:
-    - tripleo_cephadm_dynamic_spec
+    - name: genereate ceph_spec for bootstrap
+      ceph_spec_bootstrap:
+        new_ceph_spec: "{{ tripleo_run_cephadm_spec_path }}"
+        tripleo_ansible_inventory: "{{ inventory_file }}"
+        fqdn: "{{ ceph_spec_fqdn }}"
+        osd_spec: "{{ ceph_osd_spec }}"
+      when:
+        - tripleo_cephadm_dynamic_spec
 
 - name: generate ansible cephadm-extra-vars for running tripleo_cephadm role
   copy:
     dest: "{{ playbook_dir }}/cephadm/cephadm-extra-vars-ansible.yml"
     content: |
-      tripleo_cephadm_bootstrap_host: {{ tripleo_cephadm_bootstrap_host }}
-      tripleo_cephadm_first_mon_ip: {{ tripleo_cephadm_first_mon_ip }}
+      tripleo_cephadm_bootstrap_host: {{ tripleo_cephadm_bootstrap_host | default('') }}
+      tripleo_cephadm_first_mon_ip: {{ tripleo_cephadm_first_mon_ip | default('') }}
       tripleo_cephadm_spec_on_bootstrap: false
       tripleo_cephadm_pools: {{ openstack_pools.get('openstack_pools', []) }}
       tripleo_cephadm_keys: {{ keys.get('keys',[]) }}