diff --git a/ansible/inventory/group_vars/all/time b/ansible/inventory/group_vars/all/time
index 6a60b7c15..4f84ce60d 100644
--- a/ansible/inventory/group_vars/all/time
+++ b/ansible/inventory/group_vars/all/time
@@ -38,3 +38,17 @@ chrony_ntp_servers:
 
 # Synchronise hardware clock with system time. Default is true.
 chrony_rtcsync_enabled: true
+
+# Force synchronisation from NTP sources. This methods may jump the clock by
+# large values which can cause issues with some software. Disabled by default.
+ntp_force_sync: false
+
+# Maximum number of tries used by the `chronyc waitsync` command. Only used
+# when ntp_force_sync is true. Default is 60 which waits for a maximum of 10
+# minutes (60 times 10 seconds).
+chrony_waitsync_max_tries: 60
+
+# Maximum correction used by the `chronyc waitsync` command. Only used when
+# ntp_force_sync is true. Default is 0.01 which waits for the remaining
+# correction to be less than 10 milliseconds.
+chrony_waitsync_max_correction: 0.01
diff --git a/ansible/roles/ntp/tasks/sync.yml b/ansible/roles/ntp/tasks/sync.yml
index e679d3915..f969936c3 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/ntp/tasks/sync.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/ntp/tasks/sync.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 ---
+# NOTE(priteau): We need to run handlers to restart chronyd before forcing
+# clock synchronisation, or the system clock could appear as not synchronised
+# during CI jobs because the tests run too quickly after the chronyd restart.
+- meta: flush_handlers
+
 - name: Force time synchronisation
   become: True
   block:
@@ -9,8 +14,7 @@
       command: chronyc makestep
 
     - name: Wait before hardware clock synchronisation
-      pause:
-        seconds: 5
+      command: "chronyc waitsync {{ chrony_waitsync_max_tries }} {{ chrony_waitsync_max_correction }}"
 
     - name: Force hardware clock synchronisation
       command: hwclock --systohc
diff --git a/etc/kayobe/time.yml b/etc/kayobe/time.yml
index 8bfbd3391..652844c8d 100644
--- a/etc/kayobe/time.yml
+++ b/etc/kayobe/time.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,20 @@
 # Synchronise hardware clock with system time. Default is true.
 #chrony_rtcsync_enabled:
 
+# Force synchronisation from NTP sources. This methods may jump the clock by
+# large values which can cause issues with some software. Disabled by default.
+#ntp_force_sync:
+
+# Maximum number of tries used by the `chronyc waitsync` command. Only used
+# when ntp_force_sync is true. Default is 60 which waits for a maximum of 10
+# minutes (60 times 10 seconds).
+#chrony_waitsync_max_tries:
+
+# Maximum correction used by the `chronyc waitsync` command. Only used when
+# ntp_force_sync is true. Default is 0.01 which waits for the remaining
+# correction to be less than 10 milliseconds.
+#chrony_waitsync_max_correction:
+
 ###############################################################################
 # Dummy variable to allow Ansible to accept this file.
 workaround_ansible_issue_8743: yes
diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-infra-vm-base/overrides.yml.j2 b/playbooks/kayobe-infra-vm-base/overrides.yml.j2
index 3493adab5..0c3865b48 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-infra-vm-base/overrides.yml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-infra-vm-base/overrides.yml.j2
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ pip_upper_constraints_file: "/tmp/upper-constraints.txt"
 # QEMU.
 libvirt_vm_engine: "qemu"
 
+# Force system clock synchronisation
+ntp_force_sync: True
+
 # Use the CI infra's PyPI mirror.
 pip_local_mirror: true
 pip_index_url: "http://{{ zuul_site_mirror_fqdn }}/pypi/simple"
diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-base/overrides.yml.j2 b/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-base/overrides.yml.j2
index cae26b818..7e4dbc5f6 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-base/overrides.yml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-base/overrides.yml.j2
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ kolla_ansible_requirements_yml: "/tmp/kolla-ansible-requirements.yml"
 kolla_openstack_logging_debug: True
 pip_upper_constraints_file: "/tmp/upper-constraints.txt"
 
+# Force system clock synchronisation
+ntp_force_sync: True
+
 # Use the CI infra's PyPI mirror.
 pip_local_mirror: true
 pip_index_url: "http://{{ zuul_site_mirror_fqdn }}/pypi/simple"
diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-host-configure-base/overrides.yml.j2 b/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-host-configure-base/overrides.yml.j2
index f3b459866..f37b46f1e 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-host-configure-base/overrides.yml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-host-configure-base/overrides.yml.j2
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ chrony_ntp_servers:
       - option: maxsources
         val: 2
 
+# Force system clock synchronisation
+ntp_force_sync: True
+
 # Enable firewalld
 controller_firewalld_enabled: true
 controller_firewalld_zones:
diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-upgrade-base/overrides.yml.j2 b/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-upgrade-base/overrides.yml.j2
index 84301ef94..1170a5ed9 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-upgrade-base/overrides.yml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-overcloud-upgrade-base/overrides.yml.j2
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ kolla_ansible_requirements_yml: "/tmp/previous-kolla-ansible-requirements.yml"
 {% endif %}
 kolla_openstack_logging_debug: true
 
+# Force system clock synchronisation
+ntp_force_sync: True
+
 # Use the CI infra's PyPI mirror.
 pip_local_mirror: true
 pip_index_url: "http://{{ zuul_site_mirror_fqdn }}/pypi/simple"
diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-seed-base/overrides.yml.j2 b/playbooks/kayobe-seed-base/overrides.yml.j2
index 062ab6c15..91c09a698 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-seed-base/overrides.yml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-seed-base/overrides.yml.j2
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ kolla_ansible_requirements_yml: "/tmp/kolla-ansible-requirements.yml"
 kolla_openstack_logging_debug: True
 pip_upper_constraints_file: "/tmp/upper-constraints.txt"
 
+# Force system clock synchronisation
+ntp_force_sync: True
+
 # Use the CI infra's PyPI mirror.
 pip_local_mirror: true
 pip_index_url: "http://{{ zuul_site_mirror_fqdn }}/pypi/simple"
diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-seed-upgrade-base/overrides.yml.j2 b/playbooks/kayobe-seed-upgrade-base/overrides.yml.j2
index 185d42420..683833025 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-seed-upgrade-base/overrides.yml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-seed-upgrade-base/overrides.yml.j2
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ kolla_ansible_requirements_yml: "/tmp/previous-kolla-ansible-requirements.yml"
 {% endif %}
 kolla_openstack_logging_debug: True
 
+# Force system clock synchronisation
+ntp_force_sync: True
+
 # Use the CI infra's PyPI mirror.
 pip_local_mirror: true
 pip_index_url: "http://{{ zuul_site_mirror_fqdn }}/pypi/simple"
diff --git a/playbooks/kayobe-seed-vm-base/overrides.yml.j2 b/playbooks/kayobe-seed-vm-base/overrides.yml.j2
index c7284ce5e..2413fcdf6 100644
--- a/playbooks/kayobe-seed-vm-base/overrides.yml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/kayobe-seed-vm-base/overrides.yml.j2
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ pip_upper_constraints_file: "/tmp/upper-constraints.txt"
 # QEMU.
 libvirt_vm_engine: "qemu"
 
+# Force system clock synchronisation
+ntp_force_sync: True
+
 # Use the CI infra's PyPI mirror.
 pip_local_mirror: true
 pip_index_url: "http://{{ zuul_site_mirror_fqdn }}/pypi/simple"