diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/network-vars-60fd922781da7b92.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/network-vars-60fd922781da7b92.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..79724eff64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/network-vars-60fd922781da7b92.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Nodepool host variables are now available even for unreachable
+    hosts.  This is useful for network appliances which start the job
+    in an unreachable state.
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/common-config/playbooks/network.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/common-config/playbooks/network.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..913234d942
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/common-config/playbooks/network.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+- hosts: controller
+  tasks:
+    # This verifies that even though we don't have other frozen vars
+    # (since we can't connect to it), we do still have the nodepool
+    # hostvars for the appliance.
+    - name: Use the nodepool hostvars for the appliance
+      debug:
+        msg: "ssh admin@{{ hostvars[item].nodepool.public_ipv4 }}"
+      with_inventory_hostnames: appliance
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/common-config/zuul.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
index 95a95a1959..69023c6bd5 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
@@ -93,12 +93,27 @@
 
 - job:
     name: jinja2-message
+    files: jinja.txt
     nodeset:
       nodes:
         - name: ubuntu-xenial
           label: ubuntu-xenial
     run: playbooks/jinja2-message.yaml
 
+- job:
+    name: network
+    files: network.txt
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: controller
+          label: ubuntu-xenial
+        - name: appliance
+          label: network
+    host-vars:
+      appliance:
+        ansible_network_os: foo
+    run: playbooks/network.yaml
+
 - job:
     name: ansible-version28-inventory
     nodeset:
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/org_project2/.zuul.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/org_project2/.zuul.yaml
index 759e0abbbc..9fb22fcc9f 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/org_project2/.zuul.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/inventory/git/org_project2/.zuul.yaml
@@ -2,5 +2,4 @@
     check:
       jobs:
         - jinja2-message
-
-
+        - network
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_inventory.py b/tests/unit/test_inventory.py
index 1f96bb5edc..ec36c1c945 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_inventory.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_inventory.py
@@ -397,7 +397,8 @@ class TestAnsibleInventory(AnsibleZuulTestCase):
         # Output extra ansible info so we might see errors.
         self.executor_server.verbose = True
         A = self.fake_gerrit.addFakeChange(
-            'org/project2', 'master', expected_message)
+            'org/project2', 'master', expected_message,
+            files={'jinja.txt': 'foo'})
         self.fake_gerrit.addEvent(A.getPatchsetCreatedEvent(1))
         self.waitUntilSettled()
         self.assertHistory([
@@ -429,6 +430,19 @@ class TestAnsibleInventory(AnsibleZuulTestCase):
     def test_jinja2_message_raw(self):
         self._jinja2_message("This message has {% raw %} in {% endraw %} it ")
 
+    def test_network_inventory(self):
+        # Network appliances can't run the freeze or setup playbooks,
+        # so they won't have any job variables available.  But they
+        # should still have nodepool hostvars.  Run a playbook that
+        # verifies that.
+        A = self.fake_gerrit.addFakeChange(
+            'org/project2', 'master', 'A',
+            files={'network.txt': 'foo'})
+        self.fake_gerrit.addEvent(A.getPatchsetCreatedEvent(1))
+        self.waitUntilSettled()
+        self.assertHistory([
+            dict(name='network', result='SUCCESS', changes='1,1')])
+
 
 class TestWindowsInventory(TestInventoryBase):
     config_file = 'zuul-winrm.conf'
diff --git a/zuul/executor/server.py b/zuul/executor/server.py
index 4a7e144bdb..b774d977aa 100644
--- a/zuul/executor/server.py
+++ b/zuul/executor/server.py
@@ -1719,7 +1719,12 @@ class AnsibleJob(object):
                             self.original_hostvars)
         freeze_status, freeze_code = self.runAnsibleFreeze(
             self.jobdir.freeze_playbook, self.ansible_version)
-        if freeze_status != self.RESULT_NORMAL or setup_code != 0:
+        # We ignore the return code because we run this playbook on
+        # all hosts, even ones which we didn't run the setup playbook
+        # on.  If a host is unreachable, we should still proceed (a
+        # later playbook may cause it to become reachable).  We just
+        # won't have all of the variables set.
+        if freeze_status != self.RESULT_NORMAL:
             return result
 
         self.loadFrozenHostvars()
@@ -2567,6 +2572,11 @@ class AnsibleJob(object):
                 with open(path) as f:
                     facts = json.loads(f.read())
             self.frozen_hostvars[host['name']] = facts.pop('_zuul_frozen', {})
+            # Always include the nodepool vars, even if we didn't run
+            # the playbook for this host.
+            if 'host_vars' in host:
+                self.frozen_hostvars[host['name']]['nodepool'] =\
+                    host['host_vars']['nodepool']
             with open(path, 'w') as f:
                 f.write(json.dumps(facts))