diff --git a/roles/ensure-tox/README.rst b/roles/ensure-tox/README.rst
index 5dd3d59fb..4213a2b9e 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-tox/README.rst
+++ b/roles/ensure-tox/README.rst
@@ -1,14 +1,19 @@
 Ensure tox is installed
 
-If tox is not already installed, it will be installed via pip in the
-user install directory (i.e., "pip install --user").
+Look for ``tox``, and if not found, install it via ``pip`` in the user
+install directory (i.e., ``pip install --user``).
+
+After running this role, ``tox_executable`` will be set as the path to
+a valid ``tox``.
 
 **Role Variables**
 
 .. zuul:rolevar:: tox_executable
    :default: ``tox``
 
-   Optional path to point tox executable
+   Look for an existing ``tox`` at this specific path.  Note the
+   default (``tox``) effectively means to find tox in the current
+   ``$PATH``.
 
 .. zuul:rolevar:: tox_prefer_python2
    :default: ``false``
diff --git a/roles/ensure-tox/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/ensure-tox/tasks/main.yaml
index ec44cc1d6..940b455aa 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-tox/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/ensure-tox/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -16,17 +16,23 @@
     fi
     {% endif %}
 
-    type tox || $PIP install --user tox
+    type {{ tox_executable }} || $PIP install --user tox
   args:
     executable: /bin/bash
   register: result
   changed_when: "'Successfully installed' in result.stdout"
 
-- name: Set tox_executable fact
+- name: Set tox_executable fact to pip installed
   set_fact:
     tox_executable: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/.local/bin/tox"
     cacheable: true
   when: result is changed
 
+- name: Set tox_exectuable fact to found tox
+  set_fact:
+    tox_executable: "{{ tox_executable }}"
+    cacheable: true
+  when: result is not changed
+
 - name: Output tox version
   command: "{{ tox_executable }} --version"
diff --git a/test-playbooks/ensure-tox.yaml b/test-playbooks/ensure-tox.yaml
index 2f561b0c4..1f790e1ef 100644
--- a/test-playbooks/ensure-tox.yaml
+++ b/test-playbooks/ensure-tox.yaml
@@ -1,35 +1,5 @@
 - hosts: all
-  name: Test ensure-tox when tox is installed in system default
-  tasks:
-    - name: Verify tox is pre-installed on OpenDev images
-      command: "tox --version"
-    - name: Run ensure-tox with tox already installed
-      include_role:
-        name: ensure-tox
-    - name: Verify tox_executable is not set by ensure-tox
-      assert:
-        that:
-          - tox_executable is not defined
-
-- hosts: all
-  name: Test ensure-tox when tox_executable is already set and tox is installed
-  tasks:
-    - name: Install tox inside a virtualenv
-      pip:
-        name: tox
-        virtualenv: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/tox-venv"
-    - name: Run ensure-tox with tox not installed
-      include_role:
-        name: ensure-tox
-      vars:
-        tox_executable: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/tox-venv/bin/tox"
-    - name: Verify tox_executable is not set by ensure-tox
-      assert:
-        that:
-          - tox_executable is not defined
-
-- hosts: all
-  name: Remove pre-installed tox
+  name: Remove any pre-installed tox
   tasks:
     - name: Remove tox package with pip
       shell: pip uninstall -y tox
@@ -45,12 +15,8 @@
       failed_when: result.rc == 0
 
 - hosts: all
-  name: Test ensure-tox when tox is not installed
+  name: Test ensure-tox installs into user environment
   tasks:
-    - name: Remove tox package
-      shell: pip uninstall tox || pip3 uninstall tox
-      failed_when: false
-      become: true
     - name: Verify tox is not installed
       command: "tox --version"
       register: result
@@ -66,3 +32,21 @@
       command: "{{ tox_executable }} --version"
       register: result
       failed_when: result.rc != 0
+
+- 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"
+    - name: Run ensure-tox pointing to an already installed tox
+      include_role:
+        name: ensure-tox
+      vars:
+        tox_executable: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/tox-venv/bin/tox"
+    - name: Verify tox_executable is set to the virtualenv tox
+      assert:
+        that:
+          - tox_executable == '{{ ansible_user_dir}}/tox-venv/bin/tox'
+