diff --git a/roles/ensure-tox/README.rst b/roles/ensure-tox/README.rst
index 937c0f847..26a79a94b 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-tox/README.rst
+++ b/roles/ensure-tox/README.rst
@@ -16,6 +16,17 @@ virtual environment for the current user.
    will be automatically set to `True` to enable a Python 2
    installation of `pip`.
 
+.. zuul:rolevar:: ensure_global_symlinks
+   :default: False
+
+   Install a symlink to the tox executable into ``/usr/local/bin/tox``.
+   This can be useful when scripts need to be run that expect to find
+   tox in a more standard location and plumbing through the value
+   of ``tox_executable`` would be onerous.
+
+   Setting this requires root access, so should only be done in
+   circumstances where root access is available.
+
 **Output Variables**
 
 .. zuul:rolevar:: tox_executable
diff --git a/roles/ensure-tox/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/ensure-tox/defaults/main.yaml
index 7479455e6..d210ecce0 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-tox/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/ensure-tox/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 tox_executable: tox
 tox_venv_path: '{{ ansible_user_dir }}/.local/tox'
 tox_prefer_python2: false
+ensure_global_symlinks: false
diff --git a/roles/ensure-tox/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/ensure-tox/tasks/main.yaml
index dff39a0f1..8772d3f86 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-tox/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/ensure-tox/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@
 - name: Install tox to local env
   when: tox_preinstalled.rc != 0
   block:
+    - name: Create local venv
+      command: '{{ ensure_pip_virtualenv_command }} {{ tox_venv_path }}'
+
     - name: Install tox to local venv
-      pip:
-        name: tox
-        virtualenv_command: '{{ ensure_pip_virtualenv_command }}'
-        virtualenv: '{{ tox_venv_path }}'
+      command: '{{ tox_venv_path }}/bin/pip install tox'
 
     - name: Export installed tox_executable path
       set_fact:
@@ -34,3 +34,13 @@
 
 - name: Output tox version
   command: "{{ tox_executable }} --version"
+
+- name: Make global symlink
+  when:
+    - ensure_global_symlinks
+    - tox_executable != '/usr/local/bin/tox'
+  file:
+    state: link
+    src: "{{ tox_executable }}"
+    dest: /usr/local/bin/tox
+  become: yes
diff --git a/test-playbooks/ensure-tox.yaml b/test-playbooks/ensure-tox.yaml
index e2da047c5..d245112c3 100644
--- a/test-playbooks/ensure-tox.yaml
+++ b/test-playbooks/ensure-tox.yaml
@@ -40,11 +40,10 @@
 - hosts: all
   name: Test ensure-tox when tox_executable is set to an already installed tox
   tasks:
-    - name: Install tox inside a virtualenv
-      pip:
-        name: tox
-        virtualenv: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/tox-venv"
-        virtualenv_command: "{{ ensure_pip_virtualenv_command }}"
+    - name: Create a virtualenv
+      command: '{{ ensure_pip_virtualenv_command }} {{ ansible_user_dir }}/tox-venv'
+    - name: Install tox to local venv
+      command: '{{ ansible_user_dir }}/tox-venv/bin/pip install tox'
     - name: Run ensure-tox pointing to an already installed tox
       include_role:
         name: ensure-tox