diff --git a/doc/xml/release.xml b/doc/xml/release.xml
index 027c17c44..51fa99a57 100644
--- a/doc/xml/release.xml
+++ b/doc/xml/release.xml
@@ -227,6 +227,10 @@
                     <release-item>
                         <p>Reduce the frequency that certain tests are run to save time in regression.</p>
                     </release-item>
+
+                    <release-item>
+                        <p>Disable control master for older OS versions where it is less stable.</p>
+                    </release-item>
                 </release-refactor-list>
             </release-test-list>
          </release>
diff --git a/test/lib/pgBackRestTest/Common/ContainerTest.pm b/test/lib/pgBackRestTest/Common/ContainerTest.pm
index 477f63609..02ce8fcc5 100755
--- a/test/lib/pgBackRestTest/Common/ContainerTest.pm
+++ b/test/lib/pgBackRestTest/Common/ContainerTest.pm
@@ -168,20 +168,30 @@ sub sshSetup
     my $strOS = shift;
     my $strUser = shift;
     my $strGroup = shift;
+    my $bControlMaster = shift;
 
-    return
+    my $strScript =
         "# Setup SSH\n" .
         "RUN mkdir /home/${strUser}/.ssh\n" .
         "COPY id_rsa  /home/${strUser}/.ssh/id_rsa\n" .
         "COPY id_rsa.pub  /home/${strUser}/.ssh/authorized_keys\n" .
         "RUN echo 'Host *' > /home/${strUser}/.ssh/config\n" .
-        "RUN echo '    StrictHostKeyChecking no' >> /home/${strUser}/.ssh/config\n" .
-        "RUN echo '    ControlMaster auto' >> /home/${strUser}/.ssh/config\n" .
-        "RUN echo '    ControlPath /tmp/\%r\@\%h:\%p' >> /home/${strUser}/.ssh/config\n" .
-        "RUN echo '    ControlPersist 30' >> /home/${strUser}/.ssh/config\n" .
+        "RUN echo '    StrictHostKeyChecking no' >> /home/${strUser}/.ssh/config\n";
+
+    if ($bControlMaster)
+    {
+        $strScript .=
+            "RUN echo '    ControlMaster auto' >> /home/${strUser}/.ssh/config\n" .
+            "RUN echo '    ControlPath /tmp/\%r\@\%h:\%p' >> /home/${strUser}/.ssh/config\n" .
+            "RUN echo '    ControlPersist 30' >> /home/${strUser}/.ssh/config\n";
+    }
+
+    $strScript .=
         "RUN chown -R ${strUser}:${strGroup} /home/${strUser}/.ssh\n" .
         "RUN chmod 700 /home/${strUser}/.ssh\n" .
         "RUN chmod 600 /home/${strUser}/.ssh/*";
+
+    return $strScript;
 }
 
 ####################################################################################################################################
@@ -502,7 +512,7 @@ sub containerBuild
                 $strImage = "${strOS}-db-${strDbVersion}-doc";
 
                 # Install SSH key
-                $strScript = sshSetup($strOS, POSTGRES_USER, POSTGRES_GROUP);
+                $strScript = sshSetup($strOS, POSTGRES_USER, POSTGRES_GROUP, $$oVm{$strOS}{&VM_CONTROL_MASTER});
 
                 # Setup sudo
                 $strScript .= "\n\n" . sudoSetup($strOS, TEST_GROUP);
@@ -517,7 +527,7 @@ sub containerBuild
             $strImage = "${strOS}-db-${strDbVersion}-test";
 
             # Install SSH key
-            $strScript = sshSetup($strOS, TEST_USER, TEST_GROUP);
+            $strScript = sshSetup($strOS, TEST_USER, TEST_GROUP, $$oVm{$strOS}{&VM_CONTROL_MASTER});
 
             # Write the image
             containerWrite($strTempPath, $strOS, "${strTitle} Test", $strImageParent, $strImage, $strScript, $bVmForce, true, true);
@@ -529,7 +539,7 @@ sub containerBuild
         $strImage = "${strOS}-db-test";
 
         # Install SSH key
-        $strScript = sshSetup($strOS, TEST_USER, TEST_GROUP);
+        $strScript = sshSetup($strOS, TEST_USER, TEST_GROUP, $$oVm{$strOS}{&VM_CONTROL_MASTER});
 
         # Write the image
         containerWrite($strTempPath, $strOS, 'Db Synthetic Test', $strImageParent, $strImage, $strScript, $bVmForce, true, true);
@@ -544,11 +554,11 @@ sub containerBuild
 
         # Install SSH key
         $strScript .=
-            "\n\n" . sshSetup($strOS, BACKREST_USER, BACKREST_GROUP);
+            "\n\n" . sshSetup($strOS, BACKREST_USER, BACKREST_GROUP, $$oVm{$strOS}{&VM_CONTROL_MASTER});
 
         # Install SSH key
         $strScript .=
-            "\n\n" . sshSetup($strOS, TEST_USER, TEST_GROUP);
+            "\n\n" . sshSetup($strOS, TEST_USER, TEST_GROUP, $$oVm{$strOS}{&VM_CONTROL_MASTER});
 
         # Make test user home readable
         $strScript .=
@@ -569,7 +579,7 @@ sub containerBuild
 
         # Install SSH key
         $strScript .=
-            "\n\n" . sshSetup($strOS, BACKREST_USER, BACKREST_GROUP);
+            "\n\n" . sshSetup($strOS, BACKREST_USER, BACKREST_GROUP, $$oVm{$strOS}{&VM_CONTROL_MASTER});
 
         # Write the image
         containerWrite($strTempPath, $strOS, $strTitle, $strImageParent, $strImage, $strScript, $bVmForce,
diff --git a/test/lib/pgBackRestTest/Common/VmTest.pm b/test/lib/pgBackRestTest/Common/VmTest.pm
index 50eb34e0d..190c2ee64 100644
--- a/test/lib/pgBackRestTest/Common/VmTest.pm
+++ b/test/lib/pgBackRestTest/Common/VmTest.pm
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use Carp qw(confess);
 use Exporter qw(import);
     our @EXPORT = qw();
 
+use pgBackRest::Common::Log;
 use pgBackRest::Db;
 
 ####################################################################################################################################
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ use constant VM_DB_DOC                                              => 'db-doc';
     push @EXPORT, qw(VM_DB_DOC);
 use constant VM_DB_MINIMAL                                          => 'db-minimal';
     push @EXPORT, qw(VM_DB_MINIMAL);
+use constant VM_CONTROL_MASTER                                      => 'control-master';
+    push @EXPORT, qw(VM_CONTROL_MASTER);
 use constant VM_IMAGE                                               => 'image';
     push @EXPORT, qw(VM_IMAGE);
 use constant VM_OS                                                  => 'os';
@@ -77,6 +80,7 @@ my $oyVm =
         &VM_OS_BASE => VM_OS_BASE_RHEL,
         &VM_OS => VM_OS_CENTOS,
         &VM_IMAGE => 'centos:6',
+        &VM_CONTROL_MASTER => false,
         &VMDEF_PGSQL_BIN => '/usr/pgsql-{[version]}/bin',
 
         &VM_DB =>
@@ -108,6 +112,7 @@ my $oyVm =
         &VM_OS_BASE => VM_OS_BASE_RHEL,
         &VM_OS => VM_OS_CENTOS,
         &VM_IMAGE => 'centos:7',
+        &VM_CONTROL_MASTER => true,
         &VMDEF_PGSQL_BIN => '/usr/pgsql-{[version]}/bin',
 
         &VM_DB =>
@@ -132,6 +137,7 @@ my $oyVm =
         &VM_OS => VM_OS_DEBIAN,
         &VM_OS_REPO => 'jessie',
         &VM_IMAGE => 'debian:8',
+        &VM_CONTROL_MASTER => true,
         &VMDEF_PGSQL_BIN => '/usr/lib/postgresql/{[version]}/bin',
 
         &VM_DB =>
@@ -188,6 +194,7 @@ my $oyVm =
         &VM_OS => VM_OS_UBUNTU,
         &VM_OS_REPO => 'trusty',
         &VM_IMAGE => 'ubuntu:14.04',
+        &VM_CONTROL_MASTER => true,
         &VMDEF_PGSQL_BIN => '/usr/lib/postgresql/{[version]}/bin',
 
         &VM_DB =>
@@ -219,6 +226,7 @@ my $oyVm =
         &VM_OS => VM_OS_UBUNTU,
         &VM_OS_REPO => 'xenial',
         &VM_IMAGE => 'ubuntu:16.04',
+        &VM_CONTROL_MASTER => true,
         &VMDEF_PGSQL_BIN => '/usr/lib/postgresql/{[version]}/bin',
 
         &VM_DB =>