diff --git a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/README.rst b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/README.rst
index b7ebeb8eb..df07e556d 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/README.rst
+++ b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/README.rst
@@ -18,3 +18,9 @@ Install and start zookeeper using the upsteam release.
    :default: true
 
    Setup a tmpfs for data directory.
+
+.. zuul:rolevar:: zookeeper_use_eatmydata
+   :default: false
+
+   Uses "eatmydata" so that fsync returns immediately.  May be useful
+   for testing, but never use this in production.
diff --git a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/defaults/main.yaml
index d7065d479..9cf911567 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@ _zookeeper_install_version: "{% if zookeeper_version == 'latest' %}{{ _zookeeper
 
 zookeeper_use_tls: false
 zookeeper_use_tmpfs: true
+zookeeper_use_eatmydata: false
 zookeeper_ca_dir: "/opt/zookeeper/ca"
diff --git a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/Debian-12.yaml b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/Debian-12.yaml
index 390cb161e..c3e35e709 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/Debian-12.yaml
+++ b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/Debian-12.yaml
@@ -28,8 +28,13 @@
         filename: debian-testing
       become: true
 
-- name: Install JDK
-  apt:
-    name: default-jdk-headless
+- name: Set package list
+  set_fact:
+    packages:
+      - default-jdk-headless
+      - "{{ 'eatmydata' if zookeeper_use_eatmydata else False }}"
+- name: Install packages
+  package:
+    name: "{{ packages | select | list }}"
     state: present
   become: true
diff --git a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/Debian.yaml b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/Debian.yaml
index feb16ea90..718c3b7ae 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/Debian.yaml
+++ b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/Debian.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
-- name: Install JDK
+- name: Set package list
+  set_fact:
+    packages:
+      - default-jdk-headless
+      - "{{ 'eatmydata' if zookeeper_use_eatmydata else False }}"
+- name: Install packages
   package:
-    name: default-jdk-headless
+    name: "{{ packages | select | list }}"
     state: present
   become: true
diff --git a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/main.yaml
index 04a2fc43e..8f8117156 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/ensure-zookeeper/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -68,5 +68,5 @@
   become: true
 
 - name: Start Zookeeper
-  command: /opt/zookeeper/bin/zkServer.sh start
+  command: "{{ 'eatmydata' if zookeeper_use_eatmydata else '' }} /opt/zookeeper/bin/zkServer.sh start"
   become: true
diff --git a/zuul-tests.d/general-roles-jobs.yaml b/zuul-tests.d/general-roles-jobs.yaml
index 1dae96cda..86e36a82d 100644
--- a/zuul-tests.d/general-roles-jobs.yaml
+++ b/zuul-tests.d/general-roles-jobs.yaml
@@ -793,6 +793,122 @@
         - name: ubuntu-noble
           label: ubuntu-noble
 
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with tmpfs
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper
+    vars:
+      zookeeper_use_tmpfs: true
+    tags: debuntu-platforms
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-debian-bookworm
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with tmpfs on debian-bookworm
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: debian-bookworm
+          label: debian-bookworm
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-debian-bullseye
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with tmpfs on debian-bullseye
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: debian-bullseye
+          label: debian-bullseye
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-ubuntu-focal
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with tmpfs on ubuntu-focal
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: ubuntu-focal
+          label: ubuntu-focal
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-ubuntu-jammy
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with tmpfs on ubuntu-jammy
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: ubuntu-jammy
+          label: ubuntu-jammy
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-ubuntu-noble
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with tmpfs on ubuntu-noble
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: ubuntu-noble
+          label: ubuntu-noble
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with eatmydata
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper
+    vars:
+      zookeeper_use_eatmydata: true
+    tags: debuntu-platforms
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-debian-bookworm
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with eatmydata on debian-bookworm
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: debian-bookworm
+          label: debian-bookworm
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-debian-bullseye
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with eatmydata on debian-bullseye
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: debian-bullseye
+          label: debian-bullseye
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-ubuntu-focal
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with eatmydata on ubuntu-focal
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: ubuntu-focal
+          label: ubuntu-focal
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-ubuntu-jammy
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with eatmydata on ubuntu-jammy
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: ubuntu-jammy
+          label: ubuntu-jammy
+
+- job:
+    name: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-ubuntu-noble
+    description: Test the ensure-zookeeper roles with eatmydata on ubuntu-noble
+    parent: zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata
+    tags: auto-generated
+    nodeset:
+      nodes:
+        - name: ubuntu-noble
+          label: ubuntu-noble
+
 - job:
     name: zuul-jobs-test-update-json-file
     description: Test the json edit role
@@ -903,6 +1019,16 @@
         - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-ubuntu-focal
         - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-ubuntu-jammy
         - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-ubuntu-noble
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-debian-bookworm
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-debian-bullseye
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-ubuntu-focal
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-ubuntu-jammy
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-tmpfs-ubuntu-noble
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-debian-bookworm
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-debian-bullseye
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-ubuntu-focal
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-ubuntu-jammy
+        - zuul-jobs-test-ensure-zookeeper-eatmydata-ubuntu-noble
         - zuul-jobs-test-update-json-file
         - zuul-jobs-test-stage-output
         - zuul-jobs-test-fetch-translation-output