diff --git a/extraconfig/post_deploy/example_run_on_update.yaml b/extraconfig/post_deploy/example_run_on_update.yaml
index 346a1d77a5..4e378b147a 100644
--- a/extraconfig/post_deploy/example_run_on_update.yaml
+++ b/extraconfig/post_deploy/example_run_on_update.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ parameters:
   # otherwise unchanged
   DeployIdentifier:
     type: string
+    default: ''
+    description: >
+      Setting this to a unique value will re-run any deployment tasks which perform configuration on a Heat stack-update.
 
 resources:
 
diff --git a/puppet/all-nodes-config.yaml b/puppet/all-nodes-config.yaml
index b29a8a98b3..24aa15254a 100644
--- a/puppet/all-nodes-config.yaml
+++ b/puppet/all-nodes-config.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ parameters:
       perform configuration on a Heat stack-update.
   UpdateIdentifier:
     type: string
+    default: ''
     description: >
       Setting to a previously unused value during stack-update will trigger
       package update on all nodes
diff --git a/puppet/major_upgrade_steps.j2.yaml b/puppet/major_upgrade_steps.j2.yaml
index 574c41b05f..625ff4d92e 100644
--- a/puppet/major_upgrade_steps.j2.yaml
+++ b/puppet/major_upgrade_steps.j2.yaml
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ parameters:
     type: json
   UpdateIdentifier:
     type: string
+    default: ''
     description: >
       Setting to a previously unused value during stack-update will trigger
       the Upgrade resources to re-run on all roles.
diff --git a/tools/yaml-validate.py b/tools/yaml-validate.py
index d6d5194f77..438f196ef5 100755
--- a/tools/yaml-validate.py
+++ b/tools/yaml-validate.py
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ PARAMETER_DEFINITION_EXCLUSIONS = {'ManagementNetCidr': ['default'],
                                    'TenantNetCidr': ['default'],
                                    'TenantAllocationPools': ['default'],
                                    'InternalApiNetCidr': ['default'],
+                                   'UpdateIdentifier': ['description'],
                                    # TODO(bnemec): Address these existing
                                    # inconsistencies.
                                    'NeutronMetadataProxySharedSecret': [
@@ -98,8 +99,6 @@ PARAMETER_DEFINITION_EXCLUSIONS = {'ManagementNetCidr': ['default'],
                                    'OVNSouthboundServerPort': ['description'],
                                    'ExternalInterfaceDefaultRoute':
                                        ['description', 'default'],
-                                   'DeployIdentifier': ['description',
-                                                        'default'],
                                    'ExternalIpUri': ['description'],
                                    'IPPool': ['description'],
                                    'ControlPlaneNetwork': ['description'],
@@ -110,8 +109,6 @@ PARAMETER_DEFINITION_EXCLUSIONS = {'ManagementNetCidr': ['default'],
                                    'InternalApiAllocationPools': ['default'],
                                    'NodeIndex': ['description'],
                                    'SwiftPassword': ['description'],
-                                   'UpdateIdentifier': ['description',
-                                                        'default'],
                                    'name': ['description', 'default'],
                                    'StorageNetName': ['description'],
                                    'ManagementNetName': ['description'],