diff --git a/roles/juju-compute-setup/defaults/main.yml b/roles/juju-compute-setup/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c0208b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/juju-compute-setup/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+# juju-compute-setup/defaults/main.yml
+
+# note: juju_config_path and charm_versions are also set in
+# `juju-setup/defaults/main.yml`.  Keep these in sync.
+
+juju_config_path: /usr/local/src/juju_config.yml
+charm_versions: {}
+