diff --git a/system-test/maxtest/src/testconnections.cc b/system-test/maxtest/src/testconnections.cc
index f6d3f0e9b..b59d1d2b0 100644
--- a/system-test/maxtest/src/testconnections.cc
+++ b/system-test/maxtest/src/testconnections.cc
@@ -2233,8 +2233,10 @@ int TestConnections::process_mdbci_template()
     envvar_get_set("target", "develop");
     envvar_get_set("vm_memory", "2048");
     envvar_get_set("maxscale_product", "maxscale_ci");
+    envvar_get_set("force_maxscale_version", "true");
+    envvar_get_set("force_backend_version", "true");
 
-    string version = envvar_get_set("version", "10.3");
+    string version = envvar_get_set("version", "10.5");
     envvar_get_set("galera_version", "%s", version.c_str());
 
     string product = envvar_get_set("product", "mariadb");
diff --git a/system-test/mdbci/run_test_vm.sh b/system-test/mdbci/run_test_vm.sh
index 5ade57af0..c44d5c0ff 100755
--- a/system-test/mdbci/run_test_vm.sh
+++ b/system-test/mdbci/run_test_vm.sh
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ test_env_list=(
     "use_valgrind"
     "use_callgrind"
     "maxscale_product"
+    "force_maxscale_version"
+    "force_backend_version"
 )
 
 for s in ${test_env_list[@]} ; do
diff --git a/system-test/mdbci/set_run_test_variables.sh b/system-test/mdbci/set_run_test_variables.sh
index 8a1a323c3..550cfcb6e 100644
--- a/system-test/mdbci/set_run_test_variables.sh
+++ b/system-test/mdbci/set_run_test_variables.sh
@@ -13,3 +13,5 @@ export team_keys=${team_keys:-${HOME}/team_keys}
 export do_not_destroy_vm=${do_not_destroy_vm:-"yes"}
 #export test_set=${test_set:-"-LE UNSTABLE"}
 export test_set=${test_set:-"-I 1,5"}
+export force_maxscale_version=${test_set:-"true"}
+export force_backend_version=${test_set:-"false"}
diff --git a/system-test/mdbci/templates/default.json.template b/system-test/mdbci/templates/default.json.template
index 3025caded..f6c8745c2 100644
--- a/system-test/mdbci/templates/default.json.template
+++ b/system-test/mdbci/templates/default.json.template
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
       		"name": "${product}",
 		"version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server1.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
 	}
 
   },
@@ -30,7 +31,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server2.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -47,7 +49,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server3.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -64,7 +67,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server4.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -81,7 +85,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server5.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -98,7 +103,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server6.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -115,7 +121,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server7.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -132,7 +139,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server8.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -150,7 +158,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server9.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -167,7 +176,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server10.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -184,7 +194,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server11.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -201,7 +212,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server12.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -218,7 +230,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server13.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -235,7 +248,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server14.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -252,7 +266,8 @@
                 "name": "${product}",
                 "version": "${version}",
                 "cnf_template" : "server15.cnf",
-                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}"
+                "cnf_template_path": "${cnf_path}",
+                "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
         }
   },
 
@@ -268,7 +283,8 @@
         "products" : [
                 {
                         "name": "${product}",
-                        "version": "${version}"
+                        "version": "${version}",
+                        "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
                 },
                 {
                         "name": "galera_config",
@@ -290,7 +306,8 @@
         "products" : [
                 {
                         "name": "${product}",
-                        "version": "${version}"
+                        "version": "${version}",
+                        "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
                 },
                 {
                         "name": "galera_config",
@@ -312,7 +329,8 @@
         "products" : [
                 {
                         "name": "${product}",
-                        "version": "${version}"
+                        "version": "${version}",
+                        "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
                 },
                 {
                         "name": "galera_config",
@@ -334,7 +352,8 @@
         "products" : [
                 {
                         "name": "${product}",
-                        "version": "${version}"
+                        "version": "${version}",
+                        "force_version": ${force_backend_verion}
                 },
                 {
                         "name": "galera_config",
@@ -354,8 +373,10 @@
                 "MAXSCALE"
         ],
         "product" : {
-                 "name" : "${maxscale_product}",
-                "version" : "${target}"
+                "name" : "${maxscale_product}",
+                "version" : "${target}",
+                "force_version": ${force_maxscale_verion}
+                
         }
 
   },
@@ -371,7 +392,8 @@
         ],
         "product" : {
                 "name" : "${maxscale_product}",
-                "version" : "${target}"
+                "version" : "${target}",
+                "force_version": ${force_maxscale_verion}
         }
 
   }