diff --git a/etc/tempest.conf.sample b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
index 435bb6c..32fe484 100644
--- a/etc/tempest.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/tempest.conf.sample
@@ -354,3 +354,5 @@
 neutron = false
 # Whether or not glance is expected to be available
 glance = True
+# Whether or not swift is expected to be available
+swift = True
diff --git a/tempest/api/object_storage/base.py b/tempest/api/object_storage/base.py
index bf013ec..5a1fb5a 100644
--- a/tempest/api/object_storage/base.py
+++ b/tempest/api/object_storage/base.py
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
 
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
+        if not cls.config.service_available.swift:
+            skip_msg = ("%s skipped as swift is not available" % cls.__name__)
+            raise cls.skipException(skip_msg)
         cls.os = clients.Manager()
         cls.object_client = cls.os.object_client
         cls.container_client = cls.os.container_client
@@ -42,12 +45,6 @@
 
         cls.data = DataGenerator(cls.identity_admin_client)
 
-        try:
-            cls.account_client.list_account_containers()
-        except exceptions.EndpointNotFound:
-            skip_msg = "No OpenStack Object Storage API endpoint"
-            raise cls.skipException(skip_msg)
-
     @classmethod
     def delete_containers(cls, containers, container_client=None,
                           object_client=None):
diff --git a/tempest/config.py b/tempest/config.py
index 6f75b45..83ea25c 100644
--- a/tempest/config.py
+++ b/tempest/config.py
@@ -548,6 +548,9 @@
     cfg.BoolOpt('glance',
                 default=True,
                 help="Whether or not glance is expected to be available"),
+    cfg.BoolOpt('swift',
+                default=True,
+                help="Whether or not swift is expected to be available"),
 ]