diff --git a/cluster.yml b/cluster.yml
index 9bfd2ff42..c77e9e1b5 100644
--- a/cluster.yml
+++ b/cluster.yml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
   any_errors_fatal: "{{ any_errors_fatal | default(true) }}"
   roles:
     - { role: kubespray-defaults}
-    - { role: etcd, tags: etcd, etcd_cluster_setup: true, etcd_events_cluster_setup: true }
+    - { role: etcd, tags: etcd, etcd_cluster_setup: true, etcd_events_cluster_setup: "{{ etcd_events_cluster_enabled }}" }
 
 - hosts: k8s-cluster:calico-rr
   any_errors_fatal: "{{ any_errors_fatal | default(true) }}"
diff --git a/roles/etcd/defaults/main.yml b/roles/etcd/defaults/main.yml
index 041214903..750b710f2 100644
--- a/roles/etcd/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/etcd/defaults/main.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 etcd_cluster_setup: true
 etcd_events_cluster_setup: false
 
+# Set to true to separate k8s events to a different etcd cluster
+etcd_events_cluster_enabled: false
+
 etcd_backup_prefix: "/var/backups"
 etcd_data_dir: "/var/lib/etcd"
 etcd_events_data_dir: "/var/lib/etcd-events"
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes/master/templates/kubeadm-config.yaml.j2 b/roles/kubernetes/master/templates/kubeadm-config.yaml.j2
index 475d2d0ae..32e6071b6 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes/master/templates/kubeadm-config.yaml.j2
+++ b/roles/kubernetes/master/templates/kubeadm-config.yaml.j2
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ apiServerExtraArgs:
 {% if kube_version | version_compare('v1.9', '>=') %}
   endpoint-reconciler-type: lease
 {% endif %}
-{% if etcd_events_cluster_setup  %}
+{% if etcd_events_cluster_enabled %}
   etcd-servers-overrides: "/events#{{ etcd_events_access_addresses }}"
 {% endif %}
   service-node-port-range: {{ kube_apiserver_node_port_range }}
diff --git a/roles/kubernetes/master/templates/manifests/kube-apiserver.manifest.j2 b/roles/kubernetes/master/templates/manifests/kube-apiserver.manifest.j2
index b638ff457..c688e1285 100644
--- a/roles/kubernetes/master/templates/manifests/kube-apiserver.manifest.j2
+++ b/roles/kubernetes/master/templates/manifests/kube-apiserver.manifest.j2
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ spec:
     - apiserver
     - --advertise-address={{ ip | default(ansible_default_ipv4.address) }}
     - --etcd-servers={{ etcd_access_addresses }}
-{%   if etcd_events_cluster_setup  %}
+{%   if etcd_events_cluster_enabled %}
     - --etcd-servers-overrides=/events#{{ etcd_events_access_addresses }}
 {% endif %}
 {%   if kube_version | version_compare('v1.9', '<')  %}
diff --git a/roles/kubespray-defaults/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/kubespray-defaults/defaults/main.yaml
index 61fb62a09..fa97002dd 100644
--- a/roles/kubespray-defaults/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/kubespray-defaults/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ kube_apiserver_client_key: |-
   {%- endif %}
 
 # Set to true to deploy etcd-events cluster
-etcd_events_cluster_setup: false
+etcd_events_cluster_enabled: false
 
 # Vars for pointing to etcd endpoints
 is_etcd_master: "{{ inventory_hostname in groups['etcd'] }}"