diff --git a/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/files/endpoints.py b/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/files/endpoints.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..354386d257
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/files/endpoints.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# This is empty on purpose.  See:
+# https://fedorahosted.org/fedora-infrastructure/ticket/4995
+config = {}
diff --git a/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/files/gateway.py b/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/files/gateway.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..354386d257
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/files/gateway.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# This is empty on purpose.  See:
+# https://fedorahosted.org/fedora-infrastructure/ticket/4995
+config = {}
diff --git a/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/tasks/main.yml b/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/tasks/main.yml
index b962e4c92c..acefdcc76f 100644
--- a/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/fedmsg/gateway/slave/tasks/main.yml
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@
   - fedmsg/gateway
   - fedmsg/gateway/slave
 
-- name: Drop endpoints.py and gateway.py from fedmsg
-  file: name={{ item }} state=absent
+- name: Copy in empty endpoints.py and gateway.py
+  copy: src={{item}} dest=/etc/fedmsg.d/{{item}}
   with_items:
-  - /etc/fedmsg.d/endpoints.py
-  - /etc/fedmsg.d/gateway.py
+  - endpoints.py
+  - gateway.py
   tags:
   - fedmsgdconfig
   - fedmsg