diff --git a/playbooks/configure_functional_job.yaml b/playbooks/configure_functional_job.yaml
index 4d732cc6411..4982ad53f95 100644
--- a/playbooks/configure_functional_job.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/configure_functional_job.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 - hosts: all
   roles:
-    - ensure-tox
+    - role: ensure-tox
+      vars:
+        ensure_tox_version: "<4"
     # TODO(slaweq): remove it when nftables will support syntax for src and
     # destination IP addresses in arp tables:
     - legacy_ebtables
diff --git a/playbooks/run_functional_job.yaml b/playbooks/run_functional_job.yaml
index b5d7d23850a..a19a15722e9 100644
--- a/playbooks/run_functional_job.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/run_functional_job.yaml
@@ -4,5 +4,7 @@
       bindep_profile: test
       bindep_dir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}"
     - test-setup
-    - ensure-tox
+    - role: ensure-tox
+      vars:
+        ensure_tox_version: "<4"
     - tox
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 2f77de82cc8..1abac4c0c59 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [tox]
 envlist = docs,py38,pep8
 minversion = 3.18.0
-skipsdist = True
+skipsdist = False
 ignore_basepython_conflict = True
 
 [testenv]