diff --git a/playbooks/tox/linters.yaml b/playbooks/tox/linters.yaml
index ce3ca1104..6effdd0a2 100644
--- a/playbooks/tox/linters.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/tox/linters.yaml
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@
         chdir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
       register: envlist
     - set_fact:
-        tox_environment: 'pep8'
+        tox_envlist: 'pep8'
       when: envlist.stdout.find('pep8') != -1
     - set_fact:
-        tox_environment: 'linters'
+        tox_envlist: 'linters'
       when: envlist.stdout.find('linters') != -1
   roles:
     - tox
diff --git a/roles/run-tarball/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/run-tarball/defaults/main.yaml
index 014e98cfe..7a8e44269 100644
--- a/roles/run-tarball/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-tarball/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 ---
-tox_environment: venv
+tox_envlist: venv
 zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/run-tarball/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/run-tarball/tasks/main.yaml
index 26ea6c0d0..8de8d2ba5 100644
--- a/roles/run-tarball/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-tarball/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     # License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
     # under the License.
 
-    venv={{ tox_environment }}
+    venv={{ tox_envlist }}
 
     export UPPER_CONSTRAINTS_FILE=$(pwd)/upper-constraints.txt
 
diff --git a/roles/run-wheel/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/run-wheel/defaults/main.yaml
index 014e98cfe..7a8e44269 100644
--- a/roles/run-wheel/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-wheel/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 ---
-tox_environment: venv
+tox_envlist: venv
 zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/run-wheel/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/run-wheel/tasks/main.yaml
index d7ffdee88..3a651cd39 100644
--- a/roles/run-wheel/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/run-wheel/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     # License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
     # under the License.
 
-    venv={{ tox_environment }}
+    venv={{ tox_envlist }}
 
     export UPPER_CONSTRAINTS_FILE=$(pwd)/upper-constraints.txt
 
diff --git a/roles/tox/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/tox/defaults/main.yaml
index 014e98cfe..7a8e44269 100644
--- a/roles/tox/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/tox/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 ---
-tox_environment: venv
+tox_envlist: venv
 zuul_work_dir: "src/{{ zuul.project.canonical_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/tox/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/tox/tasks/main.yaml
index f065fd2a0..fbe5da7d9 100644
--- a/roles/tox/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/tox/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     # resulting environment at the end so that we have a record of exactly
     # what packages we ended up testing.
 
-    venv={{ tox_environment }}
+    venv={{ tox_envlist }}
 
     if [[ -z "$venv" ]]; then
         echo "Usage: $?"
diff --git a/zuul.yaml b/zuul.yaml
index 386fcff1e..39f5632a2 100644
--- a/zuul.yaml
+++ b/zuul.yaml
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
 
       Responds to two variables:
 
-      tox_environment
-        the environment to pass on the command line
+      tox_envlist
+        work against specified environments (ALL selects all)
 
       tox_command_line
         an optional command line
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 
       Uses tox with the "py27" environment.
     vars:
-      tox_environment: py27
+      tox_envlist: py27
 
 - job:
     name: tox-py34
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 
       Uses tox with the "py34" environment.
     vars:
-      tox_environment: py34
+      tox_envlist: py34
 
 - job:
     name: tox-py35
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 
       Uses tox with the "py35" environment.
     vars:
-      tox_environment: py35
+      tox_envlist: py35
 
 - job:
     name: tox-docs
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 
       Uses tox with the "docs" environment.
     vars:
-      tox_environment: docs
+      tox_envlist: docs
     post-run: playbooks/tox/docs-post
 
 - job:
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@
 
       Uses tox with the "cover" environment.
     vars:
-      tox_environment: cover
+      tox_envlist: cover
 
 - job:
     name: tox-tarball
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
 
       Uses tox with the "venv" environment.
     vars:
-      tox_environment: venv
+      tox_envlist: venv
     run: playbooks/tox/tarball
     post-run: playbooks/tox/tarball-post