diff --git a/doc/source/user/config.rst b/doc/source/user/config.rst
index 597062e..8492423 100644
--- a/doc/source/user/config.rst
+++ b/doc/source/user/config.rst
@@ -546,6 +546,12 @@
       from this job. Once this is set to ``true`` it cannot be reset to
       ``false``.
 
+   .. attr:: abstract
+      :default: false
+
+      To indicate a job is not intended to be run directly, but
+      instead must be inherited from, set this attribute to ``true``.
+
    .. attr:: success-message
       :default: SUCCESS
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/git/common-config/playbooks/base.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/git/common-config/playbooks/base.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f679dce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/git/common-config/playbooks/base.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- hosts: all
+  tasks: []
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/git/common-config/zuul.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aeb947
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/git/common-config/zuul.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+- pipeline:
+    name: check
+    manager: independent
+    trigger:
+      gerrit:
+        - event: patchset-created
+    success:
+      gerrit:
+        Verified: 1
+    failure:
+      gerrit:
+        Verified: -1
+
+- job:
+    name: base
+    parent: null
+    run: playbooks/base.yaml
+
+- job:
+    name: job-abstract
+    abstract: true
+
+- job:
+    name: job-child
+    parent: job-abstract
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/git/org_project/zuul.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/git/org_project/zuul.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf635e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/git/org_project/zuul.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+- project:
+    name: org/project
+    check:
+      jobs: []
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/main.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/main.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..208e274
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/abstract/main.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+- tenant:
+    name: tenant-one
+    source:
+      gerrit:
+        config-projects:
+          - common-config
+        untrusted-projects:
+          - org/project
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_v3.py b/tests/unit/test_v3.py
index 44eda82..573c8a6 100755
--- a/tests/unit/test_v3.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_v3.py
@@ -74,44 +74,43 @@
 
 
 class TestProtected(ZuulTestCase):
-
     tenant_config_file = 'config/protected/main.yaml'
 
     def test_protected_ok(self):
-            # test clean usage of final parent job
-            in_repo_conf = textwrap.dedent(
-                """
-                - job:
-                    name: job-protected
-                    protected: true
-                    run: playbooks/job-protected.yaml
+        # test clean usage of final parent job
+        in_repo_conf = textwrap.dedent(
+            """
+            - job:
+                name: job-protected
+                protected: true
+                run: playbooks/job-protected.yaml
 
-                - project:
-                    name: org/project
-                    check:
-                      jobs:
-                        - job-child-ok
+            - project:
+                name: org/project
+                check:
+                  jobs:
+                    - job-child-ok
 
-                - job:
-                    name: job-child-ok
-                    parent: job-protected
+            - job:
+                name: job-child-ok
+                parent: job-protected
 
-                - project:
-                    name: org/project
-                    check:
-                      jobs:
-                        - job-child-ok
+            - project:
+                name: org/project
+                check:
+                  jobs:
+                    - job-child-ok
 
-                """)
+            """)
 
-            file_dict = {'zuul.yaml': in_repo_conf}
-            A = self.fake_gerrit.addFakeChange('org/project', 'master', 'A',
-                                               files=file_dict)
-            self.fake_gerrit.addEvent(A.getPatchsetCreatedEvent(1))
-            self.waitUntilSettled()
+        file_dict = {'zuul.yaml': in_repo_conf}
+        A = self.fake_gerrit.addFakeChange('org/project', 'master', 'A',
+                                           files=file_dict)
+        self.fake_gerrit.addEvent(A.getPatchsetCreatedEvent(1))
+        self.waitUntilSettled()
 
-            self.assertEqual(A.reported, 1)
-            self.assertEqual(A.patchsets[-1]['approvals'][0]['value'], '1')
+        self.assertEqual(A.reported, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(A.patchsets[-1]['approvals'][0]['value'], '1')
 
     def test_protected_reset(self):
         # try to reset protected flag
@@ -177,6 +176,47 @@
             "and cannot be inherited from other projects.", A.messages[0])
 
 
+class TestAbstract(ZuulTestCase):
+    tenant_config_file = 'config/abstract/main.yaml'
+
+    def test_abstract_fail(self):
+        in_repo_conf = textwrap.dedent(
+            """
+            - project:
+                check:
+                  jobs:
+                    - job-abstract
+            """)
+
+        file_dict = {'zuul.yaml': in_repo_conf}
+        A = self.fake_gerrit.addFakeChange('org/project', 'master', 'A',
+                                           files=file_dict)
+        self.fake_gerrit.addEvent(A.getPatchsetCreatedEvent(1))
+        self.waitUntilSettled()
+
+        self.assertEqual(A.reported, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(A.patchsets[-1]['approvals'][0]['value'], '-1')
+        self.assertIn('may not be directly run', A.messages[0])
+
+    def test_child_of_abstract(self):
+        in_repo_conf = textwrap.dedent(
+            """
+            - project:
+                check:
+                  jobs:
+                    - job-child
+            """)
+
+        file_dict = {'zuul.yaml': in_repo_conf}
+        A = self.fake_gerrit.addFakeChange('org/project', 'master', 'A',
+                                           files=file_dict)
+        self.fake_gerrit.addEvent(A.getPatchsetCreatedEvent(1))
+        self.waitUntilSettled()
+
+        self.assertEqual(A.reported, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(A.patchsets[-1]['approvals'][0]['value'], '1')
+
+
 class TestFinal(ZuulTestCase):
 
     tenant_config_file = 'config/final/main.yaml'
diff --git a/zuul/configloader.py b/zuul/configloader.py
index be1bd63..c7f8fd8 100644
--- a/zuul/configloader.py
+++ b/zuul/configloader.py
@@ -474,6 +474,7 @@
     # Attributes of a job that can also be used in Project and ProjectTemplate
     job_attributes = {'parent': vs.Any(str, None),
                       'final': bool,
+                      'abstract': bool,
                       'protected': bool,
                       'failure-message': str,
                       'success-message': str,
@@ -514,6 +515,7 @@
 
     simple_attributes = [
         'final',
+        'abstract',
         'protected',
         'timeout',
         'workspace',
diff --git a/zuul/model.py b/zuul/model.py
index 38f2d6b..45fc1a8 100644
--- a/zuul/model.py
+++ b/zuul/model.py
@@ -848,6 +848,7 @@
             semaphore=None,
             attempts=3,
             final=False,
+            abstract=False,
             protected=None,
             roles=(),
             required_projects={},
@@ -1044,7 +1045,7 @@
 
         for k in self.execution_attributes:
             if (other._get(k) is not None and
-                    k not in set(['final', 'protected'])):
+                k not in set(['final', 'abstract', 'protected'])):
                 if self.final:
                     raise Exception("Unable to modify final job %s attribute "
                                     "%s=%s with variant %s" % (
@@ -1070,6 +1071,13 @@
         if other.final != self.attributes['final']:
             self.final = other.final
 
+        # Abstract may not be reset by a variant, it may only be
+        # cleared by inheriting.
+        if other.name != self.name:
+            self.abstract = other.abstract
+        elif other.abstract:
+            self.abstract = True
+
         # Protected may only be set to true
         if other.protected is not None:
             # don't allow to reset protected flag
@@ -2836,6 +2844,10 @@
                 item.debug("No matching pipeline variants for {jobname}".
                            format(jobname=jobname), indent=2)
                 continue
+            if frozen_job.abstract:
+                raise Exception("Job %s is abstract and may not be "
+                                "directly run" %
+                                (frozen_job.name,))
             if (frozen_job.allowed_projects is not None and
                 change.project.name not in frozen_job.allowed_projects):
                 raise Exception("Project %s is not allowed to run job %s" %