diff --git a/roles/beaker/server/tasks/client.yml b/roles/beaker/server/tasks/client.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..963d6ba565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/beaker/server/tasks/client.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+---
+# Configures the bkr client on the server itself. We can use this from Ansible
+# to perform various administrative tasks.
+
+- name: install bkr client
+  yum: pkg=beaker-client state=present
+  tags:
+    - beaker-server
+
+- name: create /root/.beaker_client
+  file: path=/root/.beaker_client state=directory
+  tags:
+    - beaker-server
+
+- name: configure bkr client
+  template: src=root/beaker-client-config.j2 dest=/root/.beaker_client/config mode=0600
+  tags:
+    - beaker-server
diff --git a/roles/beaker/server/tasks/main.yml b/roles/beaker/server/tasks/main.yml
index c98571da9a..5df3cf3ca8 100644
--- a/roles/beaker/server/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/beaker/server/tasks/main.yml
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@
   tags:
     - beaker-server
 
+- include: client.yml
+
 - name: ensure beaker server has all relevant virthost ssh signatures in known_hosts
   lineinfile: dest=/root/.ssh/known_hosts regexp='{{ item.hostname }}' line='{{ item.hostname }} {{ item.signature }}' create=yes owner=root group=root
   with_items:
diff --git a/roles/beaker/server/templates/root/beaker-client-config.j2 b/roles/beaker/server/templates/root/beaker-client-config.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eee07b3aba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/beaker/server/templates/root/beaker-client-config.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+HUB_URL = "http://localhost/bkr"
+AUTH_METHOD = "password"
+USERNAME = {{ beaker_server_admin_user|quote }}
+PASSWORD = {{ beaker_server_admin_pass|quote }}