diff --git a/tests/ansible/integration/runner/custom_binary_single_null.yml b/tests/ansible/integration/runner/custom_binary_single_null.yml
index 8e215bf3..ce96bf13 100644
--- a/tests/ansible/integration/runner/custom_binary_single_null.yml
+++ b/tests/ansible/integration/runner/custom_binary_single_null.yml
@@ -15,10 +15,18 @@
       - "out.failed"
       - "out.results[0].failed"
       - "out.results[0].msg.startswith('MODULE FAILURE')"
-      - "out.results[0].module_stdout.startswith('/bin/sh: ')"
+      # On Ubuntu 16.04 /bin/sh is dash 0.5.8. It treats custom_binary_single_null
+      # as a valid executable. There's no error message, and rc == 0.
       - |
-        out.results[0].module_stdout.endswith('custom_binary_single_null: cannot execute binary file\r\n') or
-        out.results[0].module_stdout.endswith('custom_binary_single_null: Exec format error\r\n')
+        out.results[0].module_stdout.startswith('/bin/sh: ')
+        or (ansible_facts.distribution == 'Ubuntu' and ansible_facts.distribution_version == '16.04')
+      - |
+        out.results[0].module_stdout.endswith((
+          'custom_binary_single_null: cannot execute binary file\r\n',
+          'custom_binary_single_null: Exec format error\r\n',
+          'custom_binary_single_null: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error\r\n',
+        ))
+        or (ansible_facts.distribution == 'Ubuntu' and ansible_facts.distribution_version == '16.04')
 
 
 # Can't test this: Mitogen returns 126, 2.5.x returns 126, 2.4.x discarded the
diff --git a/tests/image_prep/_container_setup.yml b/tests/image_prep/_container_setup.yml
index c564f1a1..353a7d5b 100644
--- a/tests/image_prep/_container_setup.yml
+++ b/tests/image_prep/_container_setup.yml
@@ -42,11 +42,19 @@
         update_cache: true
       when: ansible_pkg_mgr == 'yum'
 
+    - name: Ensure requisite dnf packages are installed
+      dnf:
+        name: "{{ common_packages + packages }}"
+        state: present
+        update_cache: true
+      when: ansible_pkg_mgr == 'dnf'
+
     - name: Clean up package cache
       vars:
         clean_command:
           apt: apt-get clean
           yum: yum clean all
+          dnf: dnf clean all
       command: "{{ clean_command[ansible_pkg_mgr] }}"
       args:
         warn: false
@@ -58,6 +66,11 @@
       - /var/lib/apt/lists
       when: ansible_pkg_mgr == 'apt'
 
+    - name: Configure /usr/bin/python
+      command: alternatives --set python /usr/bin/python3.8
+      args:
+        creates: /usr/bin/python
+      when: inventory_hostname in ["centos8"]
 
     - name: Enable UTF-8 locale on Debian
       copy:
@@ -173,6 +186,15 @@
         regexp: '.*session.*required.*pam_loginuid.so'
         line: session optional pam_loginuid.so
 
+    # Normally this would be removed by systemd-networkd-wait-online. If
+    # present ssh works only for root. The message displayed is
+    # > System is booting up. Unprivileged users are not permitted to log in
+    # > yet. Please come back later. For technical details, see pam_nologin(8).
+    - name: Remove login lockout
+      file:
+        path: /run/nologin
+        state: absent
+
     - name: Install convenience script for running an straced Python
       copy:
         mode: 'u+rwx,go=rx'
diff --git a/tests/image_prep/host_vars/centos8.yml b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/centos8.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..17eccd01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/centos8.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+bootstrap_packages: [python3]
+
+docker_base: centos:8
+
+packages:
+  - perl-JSON
+  - python2-virtualenv
+  - python3-virtualenv
+  - python36
+  - python38
diff --git a/tests/image_prep/host_vars/debian10.yml b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/debian10.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1b03d6a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/debian10.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+bootstrap_packages: [python]
+
+docker_base: debian:10
+
+packages:
+  - libjson-perl
+  - locales
+  - python-virtualenv
+  - python3
+  - python3-virtualenv
+  - virtualenv
diff --git a/tests/image_prep/host_vars/debian11.yml b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/debian11.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ab2d761
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/debian11.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+bootstrap_packages: [python3, python3-apt]
+
+docker_base: debian:bullseye
+
+packages:
+  - libjson-perl
+  - locales
+  - python-is-python3
+  - python2
+  - python3-virtualenv
+  - virtualenv
diff --git a/tests/image_prep/host_vars/ubuntu1604.yml b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/ubuntu1604.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..461e522d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/ubuntu1604.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+bootstrap_packages: [python]
+
+docker_base: ubuntu:16.04
+
+packages:
+  - libjson-perl
+  - locales
+  - python-virtualenv
+  - python3
+  - python3-virtualenv
+  - virtualenv
diff --git a/tests/image_prep/host_vars/ubuntu1804.yml b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/ubuntu1804.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4c913e2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/ubuntu1804.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+bootstrap_packages: [python]
+
+docker_base: ubuntu:18.04
+
+packages:
+  - libjson-perl
+  - locales
+  - python-virtualenv
+  - python3
+  - python3-virtualenv
+  - virtualenv
diff --git a/tests/image_prep/host_vars/ubuntu2004.yml b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/ubuntu2004.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ee5b331
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/image_prep/host_vars/ubuntu2004.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+bootstrap_packages: [python3]
+
+docker_base: ubuntu:20.04
+
+packages:
+  - libjson-perl
+  - locales
+  - python-is-python3
+  - python2
+  - python3-virtualenv
+  - virtualenv
diff --git a/tests/image_prep/hosts.ini b/tests/image_prep/hosts.ini
index 9c756f51..68f8be62 100644
--- a/tests/image_prep/hosts.ini
+++ b/tests/image_prep/hosts.ini
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 [all:children]
 centos
 debian
+ubuntu
 
 [all:vars]
 ansible_connection = docker
@@ -9,6 +10,14 @@ ansible_connection = docker
 centos5
 centos6
 centos7
+centos8
 
 [debian]
 debian9
+debian10
+debian11
+
+[ubuntu]
+ubuntu1604
+ubuntu1804
+ubuntu2004