diff --git a/python-env/defaults/main.yml b/python-env/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e45d9765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python-env/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+py_env_pkgs_state: installed
+py_env_site: False
+py_env_basic_pkgs:
+  - python-pip
+
+py_env_dpkg:
+
+py_pip_deps:
+
+py_env_pip_pkgs:
diff --git a/python-env/tasks/main.yml b/python-env/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c71f7311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python-env/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+- name: Install python pip
+  apt: name={{ item }} state={{ py_env_pkgs_state }}
+  with_items: py_env_basic_pkgs
+  tags: [ "python", "py_env" ]
+
+- name: Install python deb packages
+  apt: name={{ item }} state={{ py_env_pkgs_state }}
+  with_items: '{{ py_env_dpkg | default([]) }}'
+  tags: [ "python", "py_env" ]
+
+- name: Install deb packages needed to compile the pip modules
+  apt: name={{ item }} state={{ py_env_pkgs_state }}
+  with_items: '{{ py_pip_deps | default([]) }}'
+  tags: [ "python", "py_env" ]
+
+- name: Install a list of pip packages
+  pip: name={{ item }} virtualenv={{ py_env_env_base_dir }}
+  with_items: '{{ py_env_pip_pkgs | default ()[] }}'
+  tags: [ "python", "py_env" ]
+