diff --git a/playbooks/el6_temp_instance.yml b/playbooks/el6_temp_instance.yml
index 1b542eacbc..36a29d9cc3 100644
--- a/playbooks/el6_temp_instance.yml
+++ b/playbooks/el6_temp_instance.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
   - image: "{{ el6_qcow_id }}"
   - instance_type: m1.small
   - security_group: default
+  - region: nova
 
   tasks:
   - include: "{{ tasks }}/transient_cloud.yml"
diff --git a/playbooks/el7_temp_instance.yml b/playbooks/el7_temp_instance.yml
index fabc1048d4..2b8076e014 100644
--- a/playbooks/el7_temp_instance.yml
+++ b/playbooks/el7_temp_instance.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
   - image: "{{ el7_qcow_id }}"
   - instance_type: m1.small
   - security_group: default
+  - region: nova
 
   tasks:
   - include: "{{ tasks }}/transient_cloud.yml"
diff --git a/playbooks/f19_temp_instance.yml b/playbooks/f19_temp_instance.yml
index 7d2fc8671c..d696172387 100644
--- a/playbooks/f19_temp_instance.yml
+++ b/playbooks/f19_temp_instance.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
   - image: "{{ f19_qcow_id }}"
   - instance_type: m1.small
   - security_group: default
+  - region: nova
 
   tasks:
   - include: "{{ tasks }}/transient_cloud.yml"
diff --git a/playbooks/f20_temp_instance.yml b/playbooks/f20_temp_instance.yml
index b88ed33a8b..582d7f0b40 100644
--- a/playbooks/f20_temp_instance.yml
+++ b/playbooks/f20_temp_instance.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
   - image: "{{ f20_qcow_id }}"
   - instance_type: m1.small
   - security_group: default
+  - region: nova
 
   tasks:
   - include: "{{ tasks }}/transient_cloud.yml"
diff --git a/playbooks/fedora_temp_instance.yml b/playbooks/fedora_temp_instance.yml
index ca83bd24d2..d4d927c6e6 100644
--- a/playbooks/fedora_temp_instance.yml
+++ b/playbooks/fedora_temp_instance.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
   - image: "{{ f18_qcow_id }}"
   - instance_type: m1.small
   - security_group: default
+  - region: nova
 
   tasks:
   - include: "{{ tasks }}/transient_cloud.yml"
diff --git a/tasks/persistent_cloud.yml b/tasks/persistent_cloud.yml
index 50f69e5a91..bbfeb0bd8f 100644
--- a/tasks/persistent_cloud.yml
+++ b/tasks/persistent_cloud.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   ignore_errors: true
 
 - name: spin it up
-  local_action: ec2 keypair={{ keypair }} image={{ image }} type={{ instance_type }} wait=true group={{ security_group }} ec2_access_key={{ persist_access_key }} ec2_secret_key={{ persist_secret_key }} ec2_url={{ os_ec2_url }}
+  local_action: ec2 keypair={{ keypair }} image={{ image }} type={{ instance_type }} wait=true group={{ security_group }} ec2_access_key={{ persist_access_key }} ec2_secret_key={{ persist_secret_key }} ec2_url={{ os_ec2_url }} region={{ region }}
   register: inst_res
   when: host_is_up|failed
 
diff --git a/tasks/transient_cloud.yml b/tasks/transient_cloud.yml
index 77b4d3203f..fbf47d93fb 100644
--- a/tasks/transient_cloud.yml
+++ b/tasks/transient_cloud.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 - name: spin it up
-  local_action: ec2 keypair={{ keypair }} image={{ image }} type={{ instance_type }} wait=true group={{ security_group }} ec2_access_key={{ transient_access_key }} ec2_secret_key={{ transient_secret_key }} ec2_url={{ os_ec2_url }}
+  local_action: ec2 keypair={{ keypair }} image={{ image }} type={{ instance_type }} wait=true group={{ security_group }} ec2_access_key={{ transient_access_key }} ec2_secret_key={{ transient_secret_key }} ec2_url={{ os_ec2_url }} region={{ region }}
   register: inst_res
 
 - name: add it to the special group