diff --git a/etc/tempest.conf.sample b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
index f7f74b8..b45b591 100644
--- a/etc/tempest.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
@@ -165,6 +165,11 @@
 # value)
 #cli_dir=/usr/local/bin
 
+# Whether the tempest run location has access to the *-manage
+# commands. In a pure blackbox environment it will not.
+# (boolean value)
+#has_manage=true
+
 # Number of seconds to wait on a CLI timeout (integer value)
 #timeout=15
 
diff --git a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_nova_manage.py b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_nova_manage.py
index 13a1589..f1fee2e 100644
--- a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_nova_manage.py
+++ b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_nova_manage.py
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@
         if not CONF.service_available.nova:
             msg = ("%s skipped as Nova is not available" % cls.__name__)
             raise cls.skipException(msg)
+        if not CONF.cli.has_manage:
+            msg = ("%s skipped as *-manage commands not available"
+                   % cls.__name__)
+            raise cls.skipException(msg)
         super(SimpleReadOnlyNovaManageTest, cls).setUpClass()
 
     def test_admin_fake_action(self):
diff --git a/tempest/config.py b/tempest/config.py
index 704556f..1f1c321 100644
--- a/tempest/config.py
+++ b/tempest/config.py
@@ -698,6 +698,11 @@
     cfg.StrOpt('cli_dir',
                default='/usr/local/bin',
                help="directory where python client binaries are located"),
+    cfg.BoolOpt('has_manage',
+                default=True,
+                help=("Whether the tempest run location has access to the "
+                      "*-manage commands. In a pure blackbox environment "
+                      "it will not.")),
     cfg.IntOpt('timeout',
                default=15,
                help="Number of seconds to wait on a CLI timeout"),