diff --git a/deployment/barbican/barbican-api-container-puppet.yaml b/deployment/barbican/barbican-api-container-puppet.yaml
index e2435eead6..8fecff533c 100644
--- a/deployment/barbican/barbican-api-container-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/barbican/barbican-api-container-puppet.yaml
@@ -379,9 +379,15 @@ outputs:
                         {%- endfor %}
                       params:
                         $THALES_HSM_NETWORK_NAME: {get_param: ThalesHSMNetworkName}
-                  thales_hsm_ip_address: {get_param: [ThalesVars, thales_hsm_ip_address]}
-                  thales_hsm_config_location: {get_param: [ThalesVars, thales_hsm_config_location]}
                   thales_rfs_user: {get_param: [ThalesVars, thales_rfs_user]}
+                  nshield_hsms: {get_param: [ThalesVars, nshield_hsms]}
+
+              - name: allow using legacy variables for backwards compatibility
+                set_fact:
+                  nshield_hsms:
+                    - name: Legacy variables HSM
+                      ip: {get_param: [ThalesVars, thales_hsm_ip_address]}
+                when: nshield_hsms|length == 0
 
               - name: set playbook vars
                 set_fact:
@@ -415,9 +421,8 @@ outputs:
                       vars:
                         thales_configure_rfs: true
                         thales_client_ips: "{{thales_client_ips}}"
-                        thales_hsm_ip_address: "{{thales_hsm_ip_address}}"
-                        thales_hsm_config_location: "{{thales_hsm_config_location}}"
                         thales_bootstrap_client_ip: "{{thales_bootstrap_client_ip}}"
+                        nshield_hsms: "{{nshield_hsms}}"
                       roles:
                         - thales_hsm
 
diff --git a/environments/barbican-backend-pkcs11-thales.yaml b/environments/barbican-backend-pkcs11-thales.yaml
index 413816e1bd..60eb0a2db6 100644
--- a/environments/barbican-backend-pkcs11-thales.yaml
+++ b/environments/barbican-backend-pkcs11-thales.yaml
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ parameter_defaults:
   # provide the appropriate values.
   #
   # BarbicanPkcs11CryptoLogin: Password (PIN) to login to PKCS11 session
-  # BarbicanPkcs11CryptoSlotId: Slot Id for the HSM
+  # BarbicanPkcs11CryptoTokenLabel: Label for PKCS#11 token to be used.
+  #   This is typically the label given to the Operator Card Set (OCS)
+  # BarbicanPkcs11CryptoSlotId (optional): Slot Id for the HSM
   # BarbicanPkcs11CryptoGlobalDefault: Whether this plugin is the global default plugin
 
   BarbicanPkcs11CryptoLibraryPath:         '/opt/nfast/toolkits/pkcs11/libcknfast.so'
@@ -28,12 +30,26 @@ parameter_defaults:
     thales_client_gid:  42481
     # thales_km_data_location: URL where the RFS kmdata tarball can be downloaded.
     # thales_km_data_tarball_name: Filename for the kmdata tarball.
-    # thales_hsm_ip_address: IP address for the HSM
-    # thales_rfs_server_ip_address: IP address for the RFS Server.
+    # nshield_hsms: Dictionary including details about relevant HSMs.  If more than HSM
+    #               is in the list, the HSMs will be configured in load sharing mode for HA.
+    #               e.g.  nshield_hsms:
+    #                       - name: hsm 1
+    #                         ip: X.X.X.X
+    #                       - name: hsm 2
+    #                         ip: Y.Y.Y.Y
     # thales_hsm_config_location: The directory where the hsm configuration is stored in
     #                             your RFS server.  e.g. hsm-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
+    # thales_rfs_server_ip_address: IP address for the RFS Server.
     # thales_rfs_user: Username used to log into RFS server.
     # thales_rfs_key: RSA Private key in PEM format used to log into RFS server.
+    #
+    # The following parameter are deprecated and can be used to configure connection to a
+    # single HSM.  It is better to use the nshield_hsms parameter above instead:
+    # thales_hsm_ip_address: IP address for the HSM
+    #
+    # This parameter is deprecated and is no longer needed:
+    # thales_hsm_config_location: The directory where the hsm configuration is stored in
+    #                             your RFS server.  e.g. hsm-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
 
 resource_registry:
   OS::TripleO::Services::BarbicanBackendPkcs11Crypto: ../deployment/barbican/barbican-backend-pkcs11-crypto-puppet.yaml
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/barbican-thales-ha-581fbe9b5ef4dc87.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/barbican-thales-ha-581fbe9b5ef4dc87.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5eba8f94f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/barbican-thales-ha-581fbe9b5ef4dc87.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+features:
+  - The logic to configure the connection from barbican to nShield HSMs has
+    been augmented to parse a nshield_hsms parameter, which allows the
+    specification of multiple HSMs.  The underlying ansible role
+    (ansible-role-thales-hsm) will configure the HSMs in load sharing mode
+    to provide HA.
+deprecations:
+  - Some parameters within ThalesVars have been deprecated.  These are -
+    thales_hsm_ip_address and thales_hsm_config_location.  See
+    environments/barbican-backend-pkcs11-thales.yaml for details.