diff --git a/app/models/miq_action.rb b/app/models/miq_action.rb
index 11aaec40b6b..bb3abe82534 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_action.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_action.rb
@@ -224,7 +224,8 @@ def action_audit(_action, rec, inputs)
 
   def action_run_ansible_playbook(action, rec, _inputs)
     service_template = ServiceTemplate.find(action.options[:service_template_id])
-    options = { :dialog_hosts => target_hosts(action, rec) }
+    options = { :dialog_hosts => target_hosts(action, rec),
+                :initiator    => 'control' }
     service_template.provision_request(target_user(rec), options)
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/resource_action_workflow.rb b/app/models/resource_action_workflow.rb
index 2c07fb5c2cb..dde6b2c191f 100644
--- a/app/models/resource_action_workflow.rb
+++ b/app/models/resource_action_workflow.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ def initialize(values, requester, resource_action, options = {})
     @settings        = {}
     @requester       = requester
     @target          = options[:target]
+    @initiator       = options[:initiator]
     @dialog          = load_dialog(resource_action, values)
 
     @settings[:resource_action_id] = resource_action.id unless resource_action.nil?
@@ -80,7 +81,8 @@ def load_resource_action(values = nil)
   def create_values_hash
     {
       :dialog            => @dialog.automate_values_hash,
-      :workflow_settings => @settings
+      :workflow_settings => @settings,
+      :initiator         => @initiator
     }
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/service_template.rb b/app/models/service_template.rb
index ad1fbc76bb9..c6a2a80558a 100644
--- a/app/models/service_template.rb
+++ b/app/models/service_template.rb
@@ -187,6 +187,8 @@ def create_service(service_task, parent_svc = nil)
     # convert template class name to service class name by naming convention
     nh[:type] = self.class.name.sub('Template', '')
 
+    nh[:initiator] = service_task.options[:initiator] if service_task.options[:initiator]
+
     # Determine service name
     # target_name = self.get_option(:target_name)
     # nh['name'] = target_name unless target_name.blank?
@@ -453,8 +455,9 @@ def update_from_options(options)
 
   def provision_workflow(user, options = nil)
     options ||= {}
+    ra_options = { :target => self, :initiator => options[:initiator] }
     ResourceActionWorkflow.new({}, user,
-                               provision_action, :target => self).tap do |wf|
+                               provision_action, ra_options).tap do |wf|
       options.each { |key, value| wf.set_value(key, value) }
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/miq_action_spec.rb b/spec/models/miq_action_spec.rb
index 0ea10a15c7b..1b0a4541782 100644
--- a/spec/models/miq_action_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/miq_action_spec.rb
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ def stub_csv(data)
         { :service_template_id => stap.id,
           :use_event_target    => true }
       end
-      let(:options) { {:dialog_hosts => ip1 } }
+      let(:options) { {:dialog_hosts => ip1, :initiator => 'control' } }
 
       it_behaves_like "#workflow check"
     end
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ def stub_csv(data)
         { :service_template_id => stap.id,
           :use_localhost       => true }
       end
-      let(:options) { {:dialog_hosts => 'localhost' } }
+      let(:options) { {:dialog_hosts => 'localhost', :initiator => 'control' } }
 
       it_behaves_like "#workflow check"
     end
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ def stub_csv(data)
         { :service_template_id => stap.id,
           :hosts               => "ip1, ip2" }
       end
-      let(:options) { {:dialog_hosts => 'ip1, ip2' } }
+      let(:options) { {:dialog_hosts => 'ip1, ip2', :initiator => 'control' } }
 
       it_behaves_like "#workflow check"
     end
diff --git a/spec/models/service_template_spec.rb b/spec/models/service_template_spec.rb
index 2fb4311c915..f8edc58d6f6 100644
--- a/spec/models/service_template_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/service_template_spec.rb
@@ -113,6 +113,28 @@
     end
   end
 
+  context "initiator" do
+    shared_examples_for 'initiator example' do |initiator, match|
+      it 'test initiator' do
+        svc_template = FactoryGirl.create(:service_template, :name => 'Svc A')
+        options = {:dialog => {}}
+        options[:initiator] = initiator if initiator
+        svc_task = instance_double("service_task", :options => options)
+        svc = svc_template.create_service(svc_task, nil)
+
+        expect(svc.initiator).to eq(match)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "initiator specified" do
+      it_behaves_like 'initiator example', 'fred', 'fred'
+    end
+
+    context "initiator not specified" do
+      it_behaves_like 'initiator example', nil, 'user'
+    end
+  end
+
   context "with multiple services" do
     before(:each) do
       @svc_a = FactoryGirl.create(:service_template, :name => 'Svc A')
@@ -606,13 +628,15 @@
       resource_action = FactoryGirl.create(:resource_action, :action => "Provision")
       service_template = FactoryGirl.create(:service_template,
                                             :resource_actions => [resource_action])
+      hash = {:target => service_template, :initiator => 'control'}
       workflow = instance_double(ResourceActionWorkflow)
       expect(ResourceActionWorkflow).to(receive(:new)
-        .with({}, user, resource_action, :target => service_template).and_return(workflow))
+        .with({}, user, resource_action, hash).and_return(workflow))
       expect(workflow).to receive(:submit_request)
       expect(workflow).to receive(:set_value).with('ordered_by', 'fred')
+      expect(workflow).to receive(:set_value).with(:initiator, 'control')
 
-      service_template.provision_request(user, 'ordered_by' => 'fred')
+      service_template.provision_request(user, 'ordered_by' => 'fred', :initiator => 'control')
     end
   end
 end