diff --git a/inventory/group_vars/openqa-stg b/inventory/group_vars/openqa-stg
index 4f62527782..1cd973d9c7 100644
--- a/inventory/group_vars/openqa-stg
+++ b/inventory/group_vars/openqa-stg
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ openqa_dbuser: openqastg
 openqa_dbpassword: "{{ stg_openqa_dbpassword }}"
 openqa_assetsize: 300
 
+# this is a temporary variance between staging and prod while
+# testing https://github.com/os-autoinst/openQA/pull/945
+openqa_fixed: /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/hdd/fixed
+
 openqa_key: "{{ stg_openqa_apikey }}"
 openqa_secret: "{{ stg_openqa_apisecret }}"
 
diff --git a/roles/openqa/server/defaults/main.yml b/roles/openqa/server/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8003a1d58a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/openqa/server/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+openqa_fixed: /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/hdd
diff --git a/roles/openqa/server/tasks/main.yml b/roles/openqa/server/tasks/main.yml
index d3961b1cf5..109c4c18ed 100644
--- a/roles/openqa/server/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/openqa/server/tasks/main.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 # - external_hostname
 ##       string - The public hostname for the server (will be used as ServerName)
 ##       default - ansible_nodename
+# - openqa_fixed
+##       string - location for fixed hdd assets; this varies depending on
+##                what openQA version is in use. This is a temporary thing
+##                while we're testing PR #945 on staging
+##       default - /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/hdd
 
 # Optional vars
 # - openqa_static_uid
@@ -128,16 +133,17 @@
   with_items:
   - /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/iso
   - /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/hdd
+  - /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/hdd/fixed
   - /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/repo
   - /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/other
 
 - name: Set up createhdds cron job
-  copy: src=createhdds dest=/etc/cron.daily/createhdds owner=root group=root mode=0755
+  template: src=createhdds.j2 dest=/etc/cron.daily/createhdds owner=root group=root mode=0755
 
 - name: Check if any hard disk images need (re)building
   command: "/root/openqa_fedora_tools/tools/createhdds.py check"
   args:
-    chdir: /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/hdd/
+    chdir: "{{ openqa_fixed }}"
   register: diskcheck
   failed_when: "1 != 1"
   changed_when: "1 != 1"
diff --git a/roles/openqa/server/files/createhdds b/roles/openqa/server/templates/createhdds.j2
similarity index 77%
rename from roles/openqa/server/files/createhdds
rename to roles/openqa/server/templates/createhdds.j2
index 1ba6bd8334..39724acbf6 100644
--- a/roles/openqa/server/files/createhdds
+++ b/roles/openqa/server/templates/createhdds.j2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-cd /var/lib/openqa/share/factory/hdd
+cd {{ openqa_fixed }}
 LIBGUESTFS_BACKEND=direct withlock /var/lock/createhdds.lock /root/openqa_fedora_tools/tools/createhdds.py all --clean