diff --git a/environments/major-upgrade-composable-steps-docker.yaml b/environments/major-upgrade-composable-steps-docker.yaml
index 40da726d25..24eedf83f3 100644
--- a/environments/major-upgrade-composable-steps-docker.yaml
+++ b/environments/major-upgrade-composable-steps-docker.yaml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ resource_registry:
   OS::TripleO::PostDeploySteps: ../puppet/major_upgrade_steps.yaml
 parameter_defaults:
   EnableConfigPurge: false
+  StackUpdateType: UPGRADE
   UpgradeLevelNovaCompute: auto
   UpgradeInitCommonCommand: |
     #!/bin/bash
diff --git a/environments/major-upgrade-composable-steps.yaml b/environments/major-upgrade-composable-steps.yaml
index 8b1617f9ce..5a695171c8 100644
--- a/environments/major-upgrade-composable-steps.yaml
+++ b/environments/major-upgrade-composable-steps.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ resource_registry:
   OS::TripleO::PostDeploySteps: ../puppet/major_upgrade_steps.yaml
 parameter_defaults:
   EnableConfigPurge: true
+  StackUpdateType: UPGRADE
   UpgradeLevelNovaCompute: auto
   UpgradeInitCommonCommand: |
     #!/bin/bash
diff --git a/environments/major-upgrade-converge-docker.yaml b/environments/major-upgrade-converge-docker.yaml
index 0c323621b7..163d1de43d 100644
--- a/environments/major-upgrade-converge-docker.yaml
+++ b/environments/major-upgrade-converge-docker.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ resource_registry:
   OS::TripleO::PostDeploySteps: ../docker/post.yaml
 parameter_defaults:
   EnableConfigPurge: false
+  StackUpdateType: ''
   UpgradeLevelNovaCompute: ''
   UpgradeInitCommonCommand: ''
   UpgradeInitCommand: ''
diff --git a/environments/major-upgrade-converge.yaml b/environments/major-upgrade-converge.yaml
index 604e5a68d7..d222fb86e0 100644
--- a/environments/major-upgrade-converge.yaml
+++ b/environments/major-upgrade-converge.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ resource_registry:
   OS::TripleO::PostDeploySteps: ../puppet/post.yaml
 parameter_defaults:
   EnableConfigPurge: false
+  StackUpdateType: ''
   UpgradeLevelNovaCompute: ''
   UpgradeInitCommonCommand: ''
   UpgradeInitCommand: ''
diff --git a/puppet/all-nodes-config.yaml b/puppet/all-nodes-config.yaml
index 7edf17af7f..60290f648d 100644
--- a/puppet/all-nodes-config.yaml
+++ b/puppet/all-nodes-config.yaml
@@ -55,9 +55,18 @@ parameters:
   StackAction:
     type: string
     description: >
-      Heat action on performed top-level stack.
+      Heat action on performed top-level stack.  Note StackUpdateType is
+      set to UPGRADE when a major-version upgrade is in progress.
     constraints:
     - allowed_values: ['CREATE', 'UPDATE']
+  StackUpdateType:
+    type: string
+    description: >
+      Type of update, to differentiate between UPGRADE and UPDATE cases
+      when StackAction is UPDATE (both are the same stack action).
+    constraints:
+    - allowed_values: ['', 'UPGRADE']
+    default: ''
   # NOTE(jaosorior): This is being set as IPA as it's the first
   # CA we'll actually be testing out. But we can change this if
   # people request it.
@@ -170,6 +179,7 @@ resources:
                 deploy_identifier: {get_param: DeployIdentifier}
                 update_identifier: {get_param: UpdateIdentifier}
                 stack_action: {get_param: StackAction}
+                stack_update_type: {get_param: StackUpdateType}
           vip_data:
             map_merge:
               # Dynamically generate per-service VIP data based on enabled_services
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/upgrade-stack-action-94598796a9d3511f.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/upgrade-stack-action-94598796a9d3511f.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bdff0e6e75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/upgrade-stack-action-94598796a9d3511f.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    The new StackUpdateType parameter is now set to UPGRADE
+    when a major version upgrade is in progress.  This enables application
+    configuration via puppet to distinuish a major version upgrade from a
+    normal stack update (e.g for minor updates or reconfiguration) by
+    inspecting the stack_update_type hiera value.  In future other values may be added to
+    flag e.g minor updates vs reconfiguration, but for now only UPGRADE is considered.