diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/ansible-test-venv-system-site-packages.yml b/changelogs/fragments/ansible-test-venv-system-site-packages.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1e4526e7736
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/ansible-test-venv-system-site-packages.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+- "ansible-test - added a ``--venv-system-site-packages`` option for use with the ``--venv`` option"
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cli.py b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cli.py
index abc55d795ea..95aa700d8ca 100644
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cli.py
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/cli.py
@@ -653,6 +653,12 @@ def add_environments(parser, isolated_delegation=True):
                               action='store_true',
                               help='run from ansible-test managed virtual environments')
 
+    venv = parser.add_argument_group(title='venv arguments')
+
+    venv.add_argument('--venv-system-site-packages',
+                      action='store_true',
+                      help='enable system site packages')
+
     if not isolated_delegation:
         environments.set_defaults(
             docker=None,
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/config.py b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/config.py
index c6a034ac1d1..3cad3f3747a 100644
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/config.py
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/config.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ class EnvironmentConfig(CommonConfig):
 
         self.local = args.local is True
         self.venv = args.venv
+        self.venv_system_site_packages = args.venv_system_site_packages
 
         self.python = args.python if 'python' in args else None  # type: str
 
diff --git a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/delegation.py b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/delegation.py
index 46db7ca6dbb..24630277e8a 100644
--- a/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/delegation.py
+++ b/test/lib/ansible_test/_internal/delegation.py
@@ -167,14 +167,20 @@ def delegate_venv(args,  # type: EnvironmentConfig
         if needs_httptester:
             display.warning('Use --docker or --remote to enable httptester for tests marked "needs/httptester": %s' % ', '.join(needs_httptester))
 
-    venvs = dict((version, os.path.join(ResultType.TMP.path, 'delegation', 'python%s' % version)) for version in versions)
-    venvs = dict((version, path) for version, path in venvs.items() if create_virtual_environment(args, version, path))
+    if args.venv_system_site_packages:
+        suffix = '-ssp'
+    else:
+        suffix = ''
+
+    venvs = dict((version, os.path.join(ResultType.TMP.path, 'delegation', 'python%s%s' % (version, suffix))) for version in versions)
+    venvs = dict((version, path) for version, path in venvs.items() if create_virtual_environment(args, version, path, args.venv_system_site_packages))
 
     if not venvs:
         raise ApplicationError('No usable virtual environment support found.')
 
     options = {
         '--venv': 0,
+        '--venv-system-site-packages': 0,
     }
 
     with tempdir() as inject_path: