diff --git a/inventory/group_vars/openqa-tap-workers b/inventory/group_vars/openqa-tap-workers
index 571b6a62c4..8761a9ff9b 100644
--- a/inventory/group_vars/openqa-tap-workers
+++ b/inventory/group_vars/openqa-tap-workers
@@ -12,9 +12,3 @@ custom_rules: [
     '-A FORWARD -m state -i eth2 -o br0 --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT',
     '-A INPUT -i br0 -j ACCEPT'
 ]
-
-# we do stuff with ifcfg that base doesn't understand. terrible, terrible
-# stuff. seriously - it doesn't handle the openvswitch config well. so
-# let's tell it to just configure eth0 (and eth2, for ppc64) for us and
-# leave everything else alone.
-ansible_ifcfg_whitelist: ['eth0', 'eth2']
diff --git a/inventory/host_vars/openqa-aarch64-01.qa.fedoraproject.org b/inventory/host_vars/openqa-aarch64-01.qa.fedoraproject.org
index 2849a9c02f..2aac6e3e1a 100644
--- a/inventory/host_vars/openqa-aarch64-01.qa.fedoraproject.org
+++ b/inventory/host_vars/openqa-aarch64-01.qa.fedoraproject.org
@@ -12,4 +12,11 @@ nrpe_procs_crit: 300
 
 sudoers: "{{ private }}/files/sudo/qavirt-sudoers"
 
+# openQA tap worker hosts (like this one) do stuff with ifcfg that base
+# doesn't understand. terrible, terrible stuff. seriously - it doesn't
+# handle the openvswitch config well. so let's tell it to just configure
+# the actual connected interface (which on this system is eth0) for us
+# and leave everything else alone.
+ansible_ifcfg_whitelist: ['eth0']
+
 openqa_workers: 4
diff --git a/inventory/host_vars/openqa-ppc64le-01.qa.fedoraproject.org b/inventory/host_vars/openqa-ppc64le-01.qa.fedoraproject.org
index e0ee268a04..45fa34c496 100644
--- a/inventory/host_vars/openqa-ppc64le-01.qa.fedoraproject.org
+++ b/inventory/host_vars/openqa-ppc64le-01.qa.fedoraproject.org
@@ -11,9 +11,12 @@ nrpe_procs_crit: 300
 
 sudoers: "{{ private }}/files/sudo/qavirt-sudoers"
 
-# Given that the only interface here is eth2, we can't really make ansible do its magic
-ansible_ifcfg_whitelist:
-- nonexistent
+# openQA tap worker hosts (like this one) do stuff with ifcfg that base
+# doesn't understand. terrible, terrible stuff. seriously - it doesn't
+# handle the openvswitch config well. so let's tell it to just configure
+# the actual connected interface (which on this system is eth2) for us
+# and leave everything else alone.
+ansible_ifcfg_whitelist: ['eth2']
 
 # this is a powerful machine, can handle more openQA workers
 openqa_workers: 8
diff --git a/inventory/host_vars/qa09.qa.fedoraproject.org b/inventory/host_vars/qa09.qa.fedoraproject.org
index 446ee71886..f69992ed4e 100644
--- a/inventory/host_vars/qa09.qa.fedoraproject.org
+++ b/inventory/host_vars/qa09.qa.fedoraproject.org
@@ -6,5 +6,13 @@ nrpe_procs_warn: 1400
 nrpe_procs_crit: 1600
 eth0_ip: 10.5.124.239
 gw: 10.5.124.254
+
+# openQA tap worker hosts (like this one) do stuff with ifcfg that base
+# doesn't understand. terrible, terrible stuff. seriously - it doesn't
+# handle the openvswitch config well. so let's tell it to just configure
+# the actual connected interface (which on this system is eth0) for us
+# and leave everything else alone.
+ansible_ifcfg_whitelist: ['eth0']
+
 # this is a powerful machine, can handle more openQA workers
 openqa_workers: 10
diff --git a/inventory/host_vars/qa14.qa.fedoraproject.org b/inventory/host_vars/qa14.qa.fedoraproject.org
index d1439a7768..c85b28866e 100644
--- a/inventory/host_vars/qa14.qa.fedoraproject.org
+++ b/inventory/host_vars/qa14.qa.fedoraproject.org
@@ -6,5 +6,13 @@ nrpe_procs_warn: 900
 nrpe_procs_crit: 1000
 eth0_ip: 10.5.131.22
 gw: 10.5.131.254
+
+# openQA tap worker hosts (like this one) do stuff with ifcfg that base
+# doesn't understand. terrible, terrible stuff. seriously - it doesn't
+# handle the openvswitch config well. so let's tell it to just configure
+# the actual connected interface (which on this system is eth0) for us
+# and leave everything else alone.
+ansible_ifcfg_whitelist: ['eth0']
+
 # this is a powerful machine, can handle more openQA workers
 openqa_workers: 10