diff --git a/playbooks/base/post-ssh.yaml b/playbooks/base/post-ssh.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d793838ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/base/post-ssh.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+- hosts: all
+  roles:
+    - remove-build-sshkey
diff --git a/playbooks/base/pre.yaml b/playbooks/base/pre.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..320c179df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/base/pre.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+- hosts: all
+  roles:
+    - add-build-sshkey
+    - prepare-workspace
+    - role: validate-host
+      # TODO(mordred) When we have site-local variables, these should go there
+      zuul_traceroute_host: git.openstack.org
+      zuul_image_manifest: /etc/dib-builddate.txt
diff --git a/zuul.yaml b/zuul.yaml
index 39f5632a2..2c28cdbed 100644
--- a/zuul.yaml
+++ b/zuul.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,27 @@
+# TODO: further parameterize the base job and roles so that it can
+# include log publishing and nodeset defaults once Zuul supports
+# site-local variables.
+- job:
+    name: base
+    description: |
+      A sample base job.
+
+      Zuul installations should override this job using the project
+      "shadow" functionality.
+
+      All jobs ultimately inherit from this.  It runs a pre-playbook
+      which copies all of the job's prepared git repos on to all of
+      the nodes in the nodeset and sets the default timeout value.
+
+      Zuul installations should add a log publishing post playbook to
+      this job, and may wish to supply a default nodeset and adjust
+      the timeout values.
+    pre-run: playbooks/base/pre
+    post-run: playbooks/base/post-ssh
+    roles:
+      - zuul: openstack-infra/zuul-jobs
+    timeout: 1800
+
 - job:
     name: unittests
     parent: base