diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/Deprecate-run_background_ping_in_pod-option-bd6dd8783f224473.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/Deprecate-run_background_ping_in_pod-option-bd6dd8783f224473.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2a4c193d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/Deprecate-run_background_ping_in_pod-option-bd6dd8783f224473.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+deprecations:
+  - |
+    Config option ``run_background_ping_in_pod`` is deprecated. New option
+    ``run_background_services_in_pod`` should be used instead. This option will
+    be related not only to the ``ping`` command, as it is now, but also to other
+    services, like e.g. ``iperf3`` for which support will be added in the
+    future.
diff --git a/tobiko/rhosp/config.py b/tobiko/rhosp/config.py
index 4ae71e6e1..1e523d1bd 100644
--- a/tobiko/rhosp/config.py
+++ b/tobiko/rhosp/config.py
@@ -109,13 +109,16 @@ TRIPLEO_OPTIONS = [
                      'different hostname prefixes',
                 default={'ctrl': 'controller', 'cmp': 'compute'}),
 
-    cfg.BoolOpt('run_background_ping_in_pod',
+    cfg.BoolOpt('run_background_services_in_pod',
+                deprecated_name='run_background_ping_in_pod',
                 default=False,
-                help='Wheter background ping should be run directly from '
-                     'the undercloud node (default) or using POD on the OCP '
-                     'cluster. The latter is is useful e.g. for the '
+                help='Wheter background services, like e.g. ping or iperf3 '
+                     'should be run directly from the undercloud node '
+                     '(default) or using POD on the OCP cluster. '
+                     'The latter is useful e.g. for the '
                      'data plane adoption jobs when background ping should '
-                     'be run from the POD even before adoption.'),
+                     'be run from the POD even before adoption but it '
+                     'requires access to the OpenShift cluster API.'),
 ]
 
 
diff --git a/tobiko/tripleo/_topology.py b/tobiko/tripleo/_topology.py
index e4d006e0a..7b6e6603d 100644
--- a/tobiko/tripleo/_topology.py
+++ b/tobiko/tripleo/_topology.py
@@ -190,10 +190,10 @@ class TripleoTopology(rhosp.RhospTopology):
         return subgroups
 
     def check_or_start_background_vm_ping(self, server_ip):
-        if CONF.tobiko.tripleo.run_background_ping_in_pod:
+        if CONF.tobiko.tripleo.run_background_services_in_pod:
             # this fails if `oc` (openshift client) is not available
-            # so, if `run_background_ping_in_pod` is true, make sure `oc` is
-            # available
+            # so, if `run_background_services_in_pod` is true, make sure
+            # `oc` is available
             _openshift.check_or_start_tobiko_ping_command(server_ip)
         else:
             tripleo_nova.check_or_start_background_vm_ping(server_ip)