diff --git a/devstack/plugin.sh b/devstack/plugin.sh
index 7467e71e..11f4110e 100644
--- a/devstack/plugin.sh
+++ b/devstack/plugin.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ function configure {
     iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG whitebox cpu_model $WHITEBOX_CPU_MODEL
     iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG whitebox cpu_model_extra_flags $WHITEBOX_CPU_MODEL_EXTRA_FLAGS
     iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG whitebox rx_queue_size $WHITEBOX_RX_QUEUE_SIZE
+    iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG whitebox default_video_model $WHITEBOX_DEFAULT_VIDEO_MODEL
 
     iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG whitebox-nova-compute config_path "$WHITEBOX_NOVA_COMPUTE_CONFIG_PATH"
     iniset $TEMPEST_CONFIG whitebox-nova-compute stop_command "$WHITEBOX_NOVA_COMPUTE_STOP_COMMAND"
diff --git a/devstack/settings b/devstack/settings
index 0f282162..63450603 100644
--- a/devstack/settings
+++ b/devstack/settings
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ WHITEBOX_AVAILABLE_CINDER_STORAGE=${WHITEBOX_AVAILABLE_CINDER_STORAGE:-24}
 SMT_HOSTS=${SMT_HOSTS:-''}
 WHITEBOX_FILE_BACKED_MEMORY_SIZE=${WHITEBOX_FILE_BACKED_MEMORY_SIZE:-8192}
 WHITEBOX_RX_QUEUE_SIZE=${WHITEBOX_RX_QUEUE_SIZE:-1024}
+WHITEBOX_DEFAULT_VIDEO_MODEL=${WHITEBOX_DEFAULT_VIDEO_MODEL:-'virtio'}
 
 WHITEBOX_NOVA_COMPUTE_CONFIG_PATH=${WHITEBOX_NOVA_COMPUTE_CONFIG_PATH:-/etc/nova/nova-cpu.conf}
 WHITEBOX_NOVA_COMPUTE_STOP_COMMAND=${WHITEBOX_NOVA_COMPUTE_STOP_COMMAND:-'systemctl stop devstack@n-cpu'}
diff --git a/whitebox_tempest_plugin/api/compute/test_hw_video_type.py b/whitebox_tempest_plugin/api/compute/test_hw_video_type.py
index a792fcd5..2f308798 100644
--- a/whitebox_tempest_plugin/api/compute/test_hw_video_type.py
+++ b/whitebox_tempest_plugin/api/compute/test_hw_video_type.py
@@ -14,9 +14,13 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 from tempest.common import waiters
+from tempest import config
+import testtools
 
 from whitebox_tempest_plugin.api.compute import base
 
+CONF = config.CONF
+
 
 class HwVideoModelTest(base.BaseWhiteboxComputeTest):
     """Tests the support of different hardware video model type
@@ -58,3 +62,10 @@ class HwVideoModelTest(base.BaseWhiteboxComputeTest):
         waiters.wait_for_server_status(self.servers_client, server['id'],
                                        'ACTIVE')
         self._assert_hw_video_type(server, 'none')
+
+    @testtools.skipUnless(CONF.whitebox.default_video_model,
+                          'Requires expected default video model')
+    def test_default_hw_device(self):
+        expected_video_model = CONF.whitebox.default_video_model
+        server = self.create_test_server()
+        self._assert_hw_video_type(server, expected_video_model)
diff --git a/whitebox_tempest_plugin/config.py b/whitebox_tempest_plugin/config.py
index 25d66b3f..ecf1155b 100644
--- a/whitebox_tempest_plugin/config.py
+++ b/whitebox_tempest_plugin/config.py
@@ -113,7 +113,11 @@ general_opts = [
     cfg.IntOpt(
         'rx_queue_size',
         help='The queue size set in the [libvirt]/rx_queue_size config option '
-             'on the compute hosts.')
+             'on the compute hosts.'),
+    cfg.StrOpt(
+        'default_video_model',
+        default=None,
+        help='The expected default video display for the guest')
 ]
 
 nova_compute_group = cfg.OptGroup(