diff --git a/ansible/inventory.yml b/ansible/inventory.yml
index 6df4e5830..509ec19bf 100644
--- a/ansible/inventory.yml
+++ b/ansible/inventory.yml
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ hosts:
 
     - softlayer:
         centos5-x86-1: {ip: 50.23.85.253}
-        centos6-x64-1: {ip: 50.97.245.10}
+        centos6-x64-1: {ip: 169.62.77.228}
 
     - linuxonecc:
         rhel72-s390x-1: {ip: 148.100.110.65}
diff --git a/ansible/roles/baselayout/files/centos-aarch-sclo.repo b/ansible/roles/baselayout/files/centos-aarch-sclo.repo
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2acb67765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/baselayout/files/centos-aarch-sclo.repo
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[sclo-aarch64]
+name=CentOS-$releasever - AArch64 SCLo
+baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org/altarch/$releasever/sclo/aarch64/rh/
+gpgcheck=1
+gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-SIG-SCLo
diff --git a/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/main.yml
index 1f761d5d6..b3865b040 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/main.yml
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@
   stat: path="{{ binary_dest }}"
   register: has_git
 
+- name: centos | remove existing git package
+  when: "(os == 'centos6' or os == 'centos7') and arch != 'arm64'"
+  yum:
+    name: "git"
+    state: absent
+
 - name: install packages
   when: not os|startswith("zos")
   package: name="{{ package }}" state=present
@@ -60,6 +66,7 @@
     loop_var: package
   with_items:
     # ansible doesn't like empty lists
+    - "{{ packages[os+'_'+arch]|default('[]') }}"
     - "{{ packages[os]|default('[]') }}"
     - "{{ packages[os|stripversion]|default('[]') }}"
     - "{{ common_packages|default('[]') }}"
@@ -73,6 +80,13 @@
     - gcc
     - g++
 
+- name: centos6 | install devtoolset-2
+  when: "os == 'centos6'"
+  yum:
+    disable_gpg_check: true
+    name: "devtoolset-2-gcc,devtoolset-2-gcc-c++"
+    state: present
+
 - name: remove fortune from login shells
   when: os|stripversion == 'freebsd'
   lineinfile:
diff --git a/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/partials/repo/centos6.yml b/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/partials/repo/centos6.yml
index feac8043a..42d0109dd 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/partials/repo/centos6.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/partials/repo/centos6.yml
@@ -1,22 +1,24 @@
 ---
 
-#
-# centos6 - almost getting there
-#
-
-- name: "repo : add scl devtoolset"
-  yum_repository:
-    baseurl: http://linuxsoft.cern.ch/cern/devtoolset/slc6-devtoolset.repo
-    gpgkey: http://ftp.scientificlinux.org/linux/scientific/5x/{{ ansible_architecture }}/RPM-GPG-KEYs/RPM-GPG-KEY-cern
-    gpgcheck: yes
-
-- name: "repo : add scl"
-  yum_repository:
-    baseurl: http://linuxsoft.cern.ch/cern/scl/slc6-scl.repo
-    gpgkey: http://ftp.scientificlinux.org/linux/scientific/5x/{{ ansible_architecture }}/RPM-GPG-KEYs/RPM-GPG-KEY-cern
-    gpgcheck: yes
+- name: centos6 | install epel
+  yum:
+    name: "https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-{{ ansible_distribution_major_version }}.noarch.rpm"
+    state: present
 
-- name: install epel
+- name: centos6 | install ius
   yum:
-    name: "https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-6.noarch.rpm"
+    name: "https://centos{{ ansible_distribution_major_version }}.iuscommunity.org/ius-release.rpm"
     state: present
+
+- name: centos6 | install devtoolset-2 repo
+  get_url:
+    url: http://people.centos.org/tru/devtools-2/devtools-2.repo
+    dest: /etc/yum.repos.d/devtools-2.repo
+    mode: 0644
+
+- name: centos6 | install devtoolset-6 for i686
+  when: "arch == 'x86'"
+  get_url:
+    url: "https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/mlampe/devtoolset-6.1/repo/epel-6/mlampe-devtoolset-6.1-epel-6.repo"
+    dest: "/etc/yum.repos.d/mlampe-devtoolset-6.1-epel-6.repo"
+    mode: 0644
diff --git a/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/partials/repo/centos7.yml b/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/partials/repo/centos7.yml
index 08bfde35b..530477315 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/partials/repo/centos7.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/baselayout/tasks/partials/repo/centos7.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,26 @@
 ---
 
-- name: install epel
+- name: centos7 | install epel
   yum:
-    name: "https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-7.noarch.rpm"
+    name: "https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-{{ ansible_distribution_major_version }}.noarch.rpm"
     state: present
+
+- name: centos7 | install ius
+  when: "arch != 'arm64'"
+  yum:
+    name: "https://centos{{ ansible_distribution_major_version }}.iuscommunity.org/ius-release.rpm"
+    state: present
+
+- name: centos7 | aarch64 | install sclo repo
+  when: "arch == 'arm64'"
+  copy:
+    src: "{{ role_path }}/files/centos-aarch-sclo.repo"
+    dest: "/etc/yum.repos.d/centos-aarch-sclo.repo"
+    mode: 0644
+
+- name: centos7 | aarch64 | install sclo repo key
+  when: "arch == 'arm64'"
+  get_url:
+    url: "https://www.centos.org/keys/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-SIG-SCLo"
+    dest: "/etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-SIG-SCLo"
+    mode: 0644
diff --git a/ansible/roles/baselayout/vars/main.yml b/ansible/roles/baselayout/vars/main.yml
index 03c289031..5d07d0d3e 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/baselayout/vars/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/baselayout/vars/main.yml
@@ -27,19 +27,22 @@ ntp_service: {
 }
 
 common_packages: [
-  'automake',
-  'bash',
-  'libtool',
-  'sudo',
+  'automake,bash,libtool,sudo',
 ]
 
 # you can either add os family or os to this list (see smartos)
 # but the playbook chooses os over family - not both
 packages: {
-  centos: [
-    'ccache',
-    'git',
-    'gcc-c++', # even need this on centos6 so ccache has symlinks
+  centos6_x64: ['centos-release-scl'], # only available on x86_64, 32-bit is from https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/mlampe
+  centos6: [
+    'ccache,git2u,gcc-c++,devtoolset-6', # even need gcc on centos6 so ccache has symlinks
+  ],
+
+  centos7_arm64: ['git'], # git2u not available for aarch64 (yet)
+  centos7_x64: ['git2u','centos-release-scl'], # centos-release-scl is required to enable SCLo
+                                               # but we do it manually in partials/repo/centos7.yml for arm64
+  centos7: [
+    'ccache,gcc-c++,devtoolset-6',
   ],
 
   debian7: [
@@ -55,17 +58,11 @@ packages: {
   ],
 
   fedora: [
-    'bzip2',
-    'ccache',
-    'gcc-c++',
-    'git',
-    'fontconfig',
+    'bzip2,ccache,gcc-c++,git,fontconfig',
   ],
 
   freebsd: [
-    'ccache',
-    'git',
-    'gmake'
+    'ccache,git,gmake'
   ],
 
   rhel72: [
@@ -73,30 +70,15 @@ packages: {
   ],
 
   smartos14: [
-    'gcc48',
-    'gcc48-libs',
-    'gccmakedep',
-    'git',
-    'gmake',
-    'xz'
+    'gcc48,gcc48-libs,gccmakedep,git,gmake,xz'
   ],
 
   smartos15: [
-    'gcc49',
-    'gcc49-libs',
-    'gccmakedep',
-    'git',
-    'gmake',
-    'xz'
+    'gcc49,gcc49-libs,gccmakedep,git,gmake,xz'
   ],
 
   smartos16: [
-    'gcc49',
-    'gcc49-libs',
-    'gccmakedep',
-    'git',
-    'gmake',
-    'xz'
+    'gcc49,gcc49-libs,gccmakedep,git,gmake,xz'
   ],
 
   ubuntu: [
diff --git a/ansible/roles/bootstrap/tasks/partials/centos6.yml b/ansible/roles/bootstrap/tasks/partials/centos6.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6751c4bb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/bootstrap/tasks/partials/centos6.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+
+#
+# a centos6 bootstrap - copied from fedora
+#
+
+- name: check for python
+  raw: stat /usr/bin/python
+  register: has_python
+  failed_when: has_python.rc > 1
+
+- name: check for libselinux-python bindings
+  raw: yum info libselinux-python | grep Installed
+  register: has_libselinux
+  failed_when:  has_libselinux.rc > 1
+
+- name: install libselinux-python bindings
+  raw: yum install -y libselinux-python
+
+- name: disable selinux
+  selinux: state=disabled
diff --git a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/files/centos5.monitrc b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/files/centos.monitrc
similarity index 100%
rename from ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/files/centos5.monitrc
rename to ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/files/centos.monitrc
diff --git a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/tasks/main.yml
index 63cae53ec..7ea68b2e4 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/tasks/main.yml
@@ -147,6 +147,13 @@
     dest: "{{ jenkins.dest }}"
     mode: "{{ jenkins.mode|default('0644') }}"
 
+- name: centos6 | render sysconfig into place
+  when: "os == 'centos6'"
+  template:
+    src: "{{ role_path }}/templates/centos6.sysconfig.j2"
+    dest: "/etc/sysconfig/jenkins"
+    mode: "0644"
+
 - name: import manifest to svcadm
   when: os|startswith("smartos")
   raw: "svccfg import {{ jenkins.dest }}"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/tasks/partials/tap2junit/centos6.yml b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/tasks/partials/tap2junit/centos6.yml
index fbfc72f2a..734d330f3 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/tasks/partials/tap2junit/centos6.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/tasks/partials/tap2junit/centos6.yml
@@ -13,5 +13,5 @@
     - python-argparse
 
 - name: install tap2junit
-  raw: easy_install tap2junit
+  raw: easy_install --index-url https://pypi.python.org/pypi tap2junit
 
diff --git a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos.initd.j2 b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos5.initd.j2
similarity index 92%
rename from ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos.initd.j2
rename to ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos5.initd.j2
index f18b274d1..041c23f98 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos.initd.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos5.initd.j2
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ PIDFILE=/var/run/jenkins/$NAME.pid
 JENKINS_SLAVE_USER="iojs"
 JENKINS_SLAVE_JAR="/home/{{ server_user }}/slave.jar"
 JENKINS_SLAVE_LOG="/home/{{ server_user }}/$NAME.log"
-JENKINS_SLAVE_ARGS="-Xmx{{ server_ram|default('128m') }} -jnlpUrl {{ jenkins_url }}/computer/{{ inventory_hostname }}/slave-agent.jnlp -secret {{ secret }}"
+JENKINS_SLAVE_ARGS="-jnlpUrl {{ jenkins_url }}/computer/{{ inventory_hostname }}/slave-agent.jnlp -secret {{ secret }}"
 JENKINS_ENV="JOBS={{ ansible_processor_vcpus }} \
   HOME=/home/{{ server_user }} \
   DESTCPU={{ ansible_architecture }} \
diff --git a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos6.initd.j2 b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos6.initd.j2
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d5160483d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos6.initd.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# /etc/init.d/jenkins
+# init script for a jenkins slave.
+#
+# chkconfig: 345 90 60
+# description: jenkins slave
+#
+
+RETVAL=0
+
+NAME=`basename "$0"`
+JENKINS_CONFIG=/etc/sysconfig/$NAME
+LOCK_FILE=/var/lock/$NAME
+JAVA=/usr/bin/java
+PIDFILE=/var/run/jenkins/$NAME.pid
+
+# Source function library.
+. /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions
+
+# Read config
+[ -f "$JENKINS_CONFIG" ] && . "$JENKINS_CONFIG"
+
+# Add scl-specific path as well as regular path.
+# We add /usr/local/bin since that's where ccache symlinks live
+JENKINS_PATH="/usr/local/bin:$JENKINS_PATH:$PATH"
+
+# Replace potentially double colons since they add cwd
+JENKINS_PATH="${JENKINS_PATH//::/:}"
+
+slave_start() {
+  echo Starting $NAME...
+
+  mkdir `dirname $PIDFILE` > /dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  chown $JENKINS_SLAVE_USER `dirname $PIDFILE`
+
+  runuser -m -l $JENKINS_SLAVE_USER -c "$JENKINS_ENV PATH=$JENKINS_PATH $JAVA \
+    -jar $JENKINS_SLAVE_JAR $JENKINS_SLAVE_ARGS > $JENKINS_SLAVE_LOG 2>&1 &"
+  pgrep -f -u $JENKINS_SLAVE_USER $JENKINS_SECRET > $PIDFILE
+  RETVAL=$?
+  [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch $LOCK_FILE
+}
+
+slave_stop() {
+  echo Stopping $NAME...
+  pid=`cat $PIDFILE`
+
+  killproc -p $PIDFILE
+
+  # Wait until the monitor exits
+  while (checkpid $pid)
+  do
+      usleep 100000
+  done
+
+  RETVAL=$?
+  [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && rm -f $LOCK_FILE
+}
+
+slave_restart() {
+  echo Restarting $NAME...
+  slave_stop
+  slave_start
+
+  RETVAL=$?
+  [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch $LOCK_FILE
+}
+
+slave_status() {
+  status -p $PIDFILE $NAME
+  RETVAL=$?
+}
+
+case "$1" in
+  start)
+    slave_start
+    ;;
+  stop)
+    slave_stop
+    ;;
+  restart)
+    slave_restart
+    ;;
+  status)
+    slave_status
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|status}"
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+esac
+
+exit $RETVAL
diff --git a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos6.sysconfig.j2 b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos6.sysconfig.j2
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..85cfa1aee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/templates/centos6.sysconfig.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+JENKINS_SLAVE_USER="iojs"
+JENKINS_SLAVE_JAR="/home/iojs/slave.jar"
+JENKINS_SLAVE_LOG="/home/iojs/$NAME.log"
+JENKINS_SECRET="{{ secret }}"
+JENKINS_SLAVE_ARGS="-jnlpUrl {{ jenkins_url }}/computer/{{ ansible_hostname }}/slave-agent.jnlp -secret $JENKINS_SECRET"
+JENKINS_PATH=""
+JENKINS_ENV="JOBS={{ jobs_env }} \
+  HOME=/home/{{ server_user }} \
+  NODE_TEST_DIR=$HOME/tmp \
+  DESTCPU={{ server_arch | default(arch) }} \
+  ARCH={{ server_arch | default(arch) }} \
+  OSTYPE=linux-gnu \
+  NODE_COMMON_PIPE=/home/iojs/test.pipe"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/vars/main.yml b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/vars/main.yml
index ef69a0f01..558989bf7 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/vars/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/jenkins-worker/vars/main.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 #
 
 init: {
-  centos:  ['centos5', 'centos6','centos7'],
+  centos5:  'centos5',
+  centos6:  'centos6',
   debian:  ['debian7', 'ubuntu1204'],
   freebsd: 'freebsd',
   rhel72: 'rhel72',
@@ -16,9 +17,14 @@ init: {
   }
 
 jenkins_init: {
-  centos: {
+  centos5: {
     dest: '/etc/init.d/jenkins',
-    src: 'centos.initd.j2',
+    src: 'centos5.initd.j2',
+    mode: '0755'
+    },
+  centos6: {
+    dest: '/etc/init.d/jenkins',
+    src: 'centos6.initd.j2',
     mode: '0755'
     },
   debian: {