diff --git a/tests/base.py b/tests/base.py
index c9df91280b..e444045799 100644
--- a/tests/base.py
+++ b/tests/base.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ import zuul.driver.sql
 import zuul.scheduler
 import zuul.executor.server
 import zuul.executor.client
+import zuul.lib.ansible
 import zuul.lib.connections
 import zuul.merger.client
 import zuul.merger.merger
@@ -150,6 +151,15 @@ def never_capture():
     return decorator
 
 
+class FakeAnsibleManager(zuul.lib.ansible.AnsibleManager):
+
+    def validate(self):
+        return True
+
+    def copyAnsibleFiles(self):
+        pass
+
+
 class GerritChangeReference(git.Reference):
     _common_path_default = "refs/changes"
     _points_to_commits_only = True
@@ -1586,6 +1596,10 @@ class RecordingExecutorServer(zuul.executor.server.ExecutorServer):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
         self._run_ansible = kw.pop('_run_ansible', False)
         self._test_root = kw.pop('_test_root', False)
+        if self._run_ansible:
+            self._ansible_manager_class = zuul.lib.ansible.AnsibleManager
+        else:
+            self._ansible_manager_class = FakeAnsibleManager
         super(RecordingExecutorServer, self).__init__(*args, **kw)
         self.hold_jobs_in_build = False
         self.lock = threading.Lock()
diff --git a/zuul/executor/server.py b/zuul/executor/server.py
index e9dcdd45a1..299e226c7a 100644
--- a/zuul/executor/server.py
+++ b/zuul/executor/server.py
@@ -2192,6 +2192,7 @@ class ExecutorExecuteWorker(gear.TextWorker):
 
 class ExecutorServer(object):
     log = logging.getLogger("zuul.ExecutorServer")
+    _ansible_manager_class = AnsibleManager
     _job_class = AnsibleJob
 
     def __init__(self, config, connections={}, jobdir_root=None,
@@ -2291,7 +2292,7 @@ class ExecutorServer(object):
             self.config, 'executor', 'ansible_root', None)
         if not ansible_install_root:
             ansible_install_root = os.path.join(state_dir, 'ansible-bin')
-        self.ansible_manager = AnsibleManager(
+        self.ansible_manager = self._ansible_manager_class(
             ansible_dir, runtime_install_path=ansible_install_root)
         if not self.ansible_manager.validate():
             if not manage_ansible: