diff --git a/playbooks/groups/maintainer-test.yml b/playbooks/groups/maintainer-test.yml
index 92fda6821e..103d8ccf94 100644
--- a/playbooks/groups/maintainer-test.yml
+++ b/playbooks/groups/maintainer-test.yml
@@ -38,8 +38,14 @@
    - "/srv/private/ansible/vars.yml"
    - /srv/web/infra/ansible/vars/{{ ansible_distribution }}.yml
 
+  include_vars:
+   - dir: /srv/web/infra/ansible/vars/all/
+
   pre_tasks:
   - import_tasks: "{{ tasks_path }}/yumrepos.yml"
+  - debug: var=FedoraRawhideNumber
+  - debug: var=FedoraBranchedNumber
+  - debug: var=FedoraOldCycleNumber
 
   roles:
   - base
diff --git a/vars/all/00-FedoraCycleNumber.yaml b/vars/all/00-FedoraCycleNumber.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9902f17848
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/all/00-FedoraCycleNumber.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+28
diff --git a/vars/all/FedoraBranchedNumber.yaml b/vars/all/FedoraBranchedNumber.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..62ec1ba74e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/all/FedoraBranchedNumber.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+FedoraBranchedNumber: "{{ FedoraCycleNumber }}|int + 1"
diff --git a/vars/all/FedoraBranchedStatus.yaml b/vars/all/FedoraBranchedStatus.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f8f2030e83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/all/FedoraBranchedStatus.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+FedoraBranchedStatus: post-beta
diff --git a/vars/all/FedoraOldCycleNumber.yaml b/vars/all/FedoraOldCycleNumber.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d40c7b412c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/all/FedoraOldCycleNumber.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+FedoraOldCycleNumber: 27
diff --git a/vars/all/FedoraRawhideNumber.yaml b/vars/all/FedoraRawhideNumber.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..edee4dcf41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/all/FedoraRawhideNumber.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+FedoraRawhideNumber: "{{ FedoraBranchedNumber }}|int + 1"
diff --git a/vars/all/README b/vars/all/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..73529b1fcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/all/README
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+This directory contains variables (one per file) that are loaded into 
+various playbooks. The first set of these is to allow templates to 
+handle the various stages of Fedora development so we don't have to 
+remember all the places that need changing. 
+
+There's 3 states: 
+
+1:
+
+Rawhide N+1
+Fedora N (stable)
+Fedora N-1 (stable)
+
+2: We branch a new release from rawhide: 
+
+Rahide N+2
+Fedora N+1 (pre)
+Fedora N (stable)
+Fedora N-1 (stable)
+
+3. That release is released:
+
+Rawhide N+1
+Fedora N (stable)
+Fedora N-1 (stable)
+Fedora N-2 (stable)