diff --git a/roles/openshift/object/tasks/main.yml b/roles/openshift/object/tasks/main.yml
index e7c19847b6..a7a70ccc8d 100644
--- a/roles/openshift/object/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/openshift/object/tasks/main.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@
 - name: Call `oc apply` on the copied file
   shell: oc -n {{app}} apply -f {{tmpfile.path}}
   run_once: true
+  when: global is not defined or not global
+
+- name: GLOBAL call `oc apply` on the copied file
+  shell: oc apply -f {{tmpfile.path}}
+  run_once: true
+  when: global is defined and global
 
 - name: Delete temporary file
   file: path={{tmpfile.path}} state=absent
diff --git a/roles/openshift/project/tasks/main.yml b/roles/openshift/project/tasks/main.yml
index f9fddca6c0..73d5259326 100644
--- a/roles/openshift/project/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/openshift/project/tasks/main.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
     name: openshift/object
   vars:
     template_fullpath: "{{roles_path}}/openshift/project/templates/role-appowners.yml"
+    # Namespace-local roles are unusable until Openshift 3.6. Remove this global: true when upgraded.
+    global: true
 
 - name: appowners.yml
   include_role:
diff --git a/roles/openshift/project/templates/appowners.yml b/roles/openshift/project/templates/appowners.yml
index 38aaa93e28..7c49fe20c4 100644
--- a/roles/openshift/project/templates/appowners.yml
+++ b/roles/openshift/project/templates/appowners.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ metadata:
 roleRef:
   kind: Role
   name: appowner
-  namespace: "{{app}}"
 subjects:
 {% for owner in appowners %}
 - kind: User