diff --git a/core/tools/ansible.go b/core/tools/ansible.go
index 9622141a..50b7ad23 100644
--- a/core/tools/ansible.go
+++ b/core/tools/ansible.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	AnsiblePlaybookExecutable Executable = "ansible-playbook"
+	AnsibleConfigPath         string     = "/simulator/config/admin/ansible.cfg"
 )
 
 type ScenarioManager interface {
@@ -61,6 +62,11 @@ func ansiblePlaybookCommand(workingDir, playbookDir, playbook string, extraVars
 		Executable: AnsiblePlaybookExecutable,
 		WorkingDir: workingDir,
 		Arguments:  args,
+		// Ansible complains on Windows+WSL that the directory
+		// with the ansible configuration is world writable
+		// and hence ignore the configuration unless explicitly
+		// set using the ANSIBLE_CONFIG environment variable.
+		Env: []string{"ANSIBLE_CONFIG=" + AnsibleConfigPath},
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/core/tools/runner.go b/core/tools/runner.go
index f428ef54..edc308d3 100644
--- a/core/tools/runner.go
+++ b/core/tools/runner.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ type Executable string
 type runner struct {
 	Executable Executable
 	WorkingDir string
+	Env        []string
 	Arguments  []string
 }
 
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ func (c runner) Run(ctx context.Context, output io.Writer) error {
 	cmd.Dir = c.WorkingDir
 	cmd.Stdout = output
 	cmd.Stderr = output
+	cmd.Env = c.Env
 
 	err := cmd.Run()
 	if err != nil {