diff --git a/patrole_tempest_plugin/config.py b/patrole_tempest_plugin/config.py
index 9eed5ab..ebc8a1d 100644
--- a/patrole_tempest_plugin/config.py
+++ b/patrole_tempest_plugin/config.py
@@ -22,11 +22,18 @@
 PatroleGroup = [
     cfg.StrOpt('rbac_test_role',
                default='admin',
-               help="""The current RBAC role against which to run Patrole
-tests."""),
+               help="""The current RBAC role against which to run
+Patrole tests."""),
     cfg.BoolOpt('enable_rbac',
                 default=True,
-                help="Enables RBAC tests."),
+                deprecated_for_removal=True,
+                deprecated_reason="""This is a legacy option that was
+meaningful when Patrole existed downstream as a suite of tests inside Tempest.
+Installing the Patrole plugin necessarily means that RBAC tests should be run.
+This option is paradoxical with the Tempest plugin architecture.
+""",
+                deprecated_since='R',
+                help="Enables Patrole RBAC tests."),
     cfg.ListOpt('custom_policy_files',
                 default=['/etc/%s/policy.json'],
                 help="""List of the paths to search for policy files. Each
diff --git a/patrole_tempest_plugin/rbac_utils.py b/patrole_tempest_plugin/rbac_utils.py
index 6c40aa1..02b9297 100644
--- a/patrole_tempest_plugin/rbac_utils.py
+++ b/patrole_tempest_plugin/rbac_utils.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import time
 
 from oslo_log import log as logging
+from oslo_log import versionutils
 from oslo_utils import excutils
 
 from tempest import clients
@@ -220,6 +221,12 @@
     @classmethod
     def skip_rbac_checks(cls):
         if not CONF.patrole.enable_rbac:
+            deprecation_msg = ("The `[patrole].enable_rbac` option is "
+                               "deprecated and will be removed in the S "
+                               "release. Patrole tests will always be enabled "
+                               "following installation of the Patrole Tempest "
+                               "plugin. Use a regex to skip tests.")
+            versionutils.report_deprecated_feature(LOG, deprecation_msg)
             raise cls.skipException(
                 'Patrole testing not enabled so skipping %s.' % cls.__name__)
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/deprecate-enable-rbac-option-1e499bb0914cdee8.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/deprecate-enable-rbac-option-1e499bb0914cdee8.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7354c4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/deprecate-enable-rbac-option-1e499bb0914cdee8.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+deprecations:
+  - |
+    The ``[patrole].enable_rbac`` option is deprecated and will be removed
+    during the "S" release. This is a legacy option that was meaningful
+    downstream when Patrole was a suite of tests inside Tempest itself. Now
+    that Patrole exists upstream as a Tempest plugin, it is paradoxical to
+    install the Patrole plugin yet have an option that allows all Patrole
+    tests to be skipped. This option is at odds with current Patrole
+    architecture.
+
+    To skip RBAC tests going forward, with Patrole Tempest plugin already
+    installed, use an appropriate regex.