diff --git a/test/README.md b/test/README.md
index 6114581b05..3ecfca624a 100644
--- a/test/README.md
+++ b/test/README.md
@@ -539,9 +539,11 @@ $ drenv delete envs/example.yaml
 
 - `templates`: templates for creating new profiles.
     - `name`: profile name.
-    - `external`: true if this is existing external cluster. In this
-      case the tool will not start a minikube cluster and all other
-      options are ignored.
+    - `provider`: cluster provider. The default provider is "minikube",
+      creating cluster using VM or containers.  Use "external" to use
+      exsiting clusters not managed by `drenv`. Use the special value
+      "$provider" to select the best provider for the host. (default
+      "$provider")
     - `driver`: The minikube driver. On Linux, the default drivers are kvm2 and
       docker for VMs and containers. On MacOS, the defaults are hyperkit and
       podman. Use "$vm" and "$container" values to use the recommended VM and
diff --git a/test/drenv/__main__.py b/test/drenv/__main__.py
index 9da2de492a..69681e6c3c 100644
--- a/test/drenv/__main__.py
+++ b/test/drenv/__main__.py
@@ -359,14 +359,13 @@ def collect_addons(env):
 
 def start_cluster(profile, hooks=(), args=None, **options):
     provider = providers.get(profile["provider"])
-    if profile["external"]:
-        logging.debug("[%s] Skipping external cluster", profile["name"])
-    else:
-        existing = provider.exists(profile)
-        provider.start(profile, verbose=args.verbose)
-        provider.configure(profile, existing=existing)
-        if existing:
-            restart_failed_deployments(profile)
+    existing = provider.exists(profile)
+
+    provider.start(profile, verbose=args.verbose)
+    provider.configure(profile, existing=existing)
+
+    if existing:
+        restart_failed_deployments(profile)
 
     if hooks:
         execute(
@@ -391,19 +390,14 @@ def stop_cluster(profile, hooks=(), **options):
             allow_failure=True,
         )
 
-    provider = providers.get(profile["provider"])
-    if profile["external"]:
-        logging.debug("[%s] Skipping external cluster", profile["name"])
-    elif cluster_status != cluster.UNKNOWN:
+    if cluster_status != cluster.UNKNOWN:
+        provider = providers.get(profile["provider"])
         provider.stop(profile)
 
 
 def delete_cluster(profile, **options):
     provider = providers.get(profile["provider"])
-    if profile["external"]:
-        logging.debug("[%s] Skipping external cluster", profile["name"])
-    else:
-        provider.delete(profile)
+    provider.delete(profile)
 
     profile_config = drenv.config_dir(profile["name"])
     if os.path.exists(profile_config):
diff --git a/test/drenv/providers/external.py b/test/drenv/providers/external.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a528e35464
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/drenv/providers/external.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: The RamenDR authors
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import logging
+import time
+from functools import partial
+
+from drenv import cluster
+
+# Provider scope
+
+
+def setup():
+    logging.info("[external] Skipping setup for external provider")
+
+
+def cleanup():
+    logging.info("[external] Skipping cleanup for external provider")
+
+
+# Cluster scope
+
+
+def exists(profile):
+    return True
+
+
+def start(profile, verbose=False):
+    start = time.monotonic()
+    logging.info("[%s] Checking external cluster status", profile["name"])
+
+    # Fail fast if cluster is not configured, we cannot recover from this.
+    status = cluster.status(profile["name"])
+    if status == cluster.UNKNOWN:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Cluster '{profile['name']}' does not exist")
+
+    # Otherwise handle temporary outage gracefuly.
+    debug = partial(logging.debug, f"[{profile['name']}] %s")
+    cluster.wait_until_ready(profile["name"], timeout=60, log=debug)
+
+    logging.info(
+        "[%s] Cluster ready in %.2f seconds",
+        profile["name"],
+        time.monotonic() - start,
+    )
+
+
+def configure(profile, existing=False):
+    logging.info("[%s] Skipping configure for external cluster", profile["name"])
+
+
+def stop(profile):
+    logging.info("[%s] Skipping stop for external cluster", profile["name"])
+
+
+def delete(profile):
+    logging.info("[%s] Skipping delete for external cluster", profile["name"])
+
+
+def suspend(profile):
+    logging.info("[%s] Skipping suspend for external cluster", profile["name"])
+
+
+def resume(profile):
+    logging.info("[%s] Skipping resume for external cluster", profile["name"])
+
+
+def cp(name, src, dst):
+    logging.warning("[%s] cp not implemented yet for external cluster", name)
+
+
+def ssh(name, command):
+    logging.warning("[%s] ssh not implemented yet for external cluster", name)
diff --git a/test/envs/external.yaml b/test/envs/external.yaml
index 51da25131c..98238dd99f 100644
--- a/test/envs/external.yaml
+++ b/test/envs/external.yaml
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: The RamenDR authors
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-# Example environment using external clusters. The cluster `test` must exist
-# when this environment is started.
+# Example environment using external clusters. The cluster must exist when this
+# environment is started.
 #
 # To try this example, create the cluster with:
 #
-#     drenv start envs/test.yaml
+#     drenv start envs/vm.yaml
 #
 # Now you can start this environment with:
 #
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 name: external
 profiles:
   - name: cluster
-    external: true
+    provider: external
     workers:
       - addons:
           - name: example