diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 167a1f3..334c118 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ repo_build_pool_dir: "/var/www/repo/pools"
 
 repo_build_release_tag: "untagged"
 
+# Toggle whether venvs should be built selectively or not
+repo_build_venv_selective: yes
+
 # Optionally set this to change the default index from pypi to an alternative
 #repo_build_pip_default_index: "https://pypi.python.org/simple"
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/selective-venv-build-dd9f0e40cd1cc076.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/selective-venv-build-dd9f0e40cd1cc076.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..801a133
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/selective-venv-build-dd9f0e40cd1cc076.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+features:
+  - The repo build process now selectively builds venvs based on
+    whether each OpenStack service group has any hosts in it. If
+    there are no hosts in the group, the venv will not be built.
+    This behaviour can be optionally changed to force all venvs
+    to be built by setting ``repo_build_venv_selective`` to
+    ``yes``.
diff --git a/templates/op-venv-script.sh.j2 b/templates/op-venv-script.sh.j2
index 8aedc6e..952507c 100644
--- a/templates/op-venv-script.sh.j2
+++ b/templates/op-venv-script.sh.j2
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ function venv_create {
 #        purposes the group data will be rendered as a comment.
 {% set os_group = {} %}
 {% for key, value in local_packages.results.0.item.role_packages.items() %}
-{% if "os_" in key %}
+{% set _host_group = key | replace('os_', '') + '_all' %}
+{% if ("os_" in key) and (not repo_build_venv_selective | bool) or ((groups[_host_group] is defined) and (groups[_host_group] | length > 0)) %}
 # venv to build {{ key }}
 #   * packages within the {{ key }} venv: {{ value }}
 {% set _ = os_group.update({key: value}) %}
diff --git a/tests/inventory b/tests/inventory
index 337d7b0..7191987 100644
--- a/tests/inventory
+++ b/tests/inventory
@@ -7,3 +7,7 @@ container1
 
 [all_containers:children]
 repo_all
+
+# This is here to validate the venv build inclusion
+[keystone_all]
+container1
diff --git a/tests/test-repo-build.yml b/tests/test-repo-build.yml
index 7d33903..2507e5c 100644
--- a/tests/test-repo-build.yml
+++ b/tests/test-repo-build.yml
@@ -39,5 +39,15 @@
   roles:
     - "repo_server"
     - "{{ rolename | basename }}"
+  post_tasks:
+    - name: List the files in the venv folder
+      command: ls -1 /var/www/repo/venvs/{{ repo_build_release_tag }}/{{ ansible_distribution | lower }}/
+      register: venv_folder_content
+    - name: Ensure that the keystone venv is present
+      assert:
+        that: "'keystone-{{ repo_build_release_tag }}.tgz' in venv_folder_content.stdout"
+    - name: Ensure that the nova venv is NOT present
+      assert:
+        that: "'nova-{{ repo_build_release_tag }}.tgz' not in venv_folder_content.stdout"
   vars_files:
     - test-vars.yml
diff --git a/tests/test-vars.yml b/tests/test-vars.yml
index 343e784..94d1ce7 100644
--- a/tests/test-vars.yml
+++ b/tests/test-vars.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 openstack_release: testing
+repo_build_release_tag: "{{ openstack_release }}"
 galera_client_drop_config_file: false
 local_packages:
   results: