diff --git a/ci/vars_to_logging_cmd.py b/ci/vars_to_logging_cmd.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..c719a0cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/vars_to_logging_cmd.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# Copyright lowRISC contributors.
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, see LICENSE for details.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+# Read an Azure Pipelines-compatible variables file, and convert it into
+# logging commands that Azure Pipelines understands, effectively setting the
+# variables at runtime.
+#
+# This script can be used as a workaround if variables cannot be included in the
+# Pipeline definition directly.
+#
+# See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/scripts/logging-commands
+# for more information on logging commands.
+
+import sys
+import yaml
+
+def vars_to_logging_cmd(vars_file):
+    data = {}
+    print(vars_file)
+    with open(vars_file, 'r', encoding="utf-8") as fp:
+        data = yaml.load(fp, Loader=yaml.SafeLoader)
+
+    if not (isinstance(data, dict) and 'variables' in data):
+        print("YAML file wasn't a dictionary with a 'variables' key. Got: {}"
+            .format(data))
+
+    print("Setting variables from {}".format(vars_file))
+    for key, value in data['variables'].items():
+        # Note: These lines won't show up in the Azure Pipelines output unless
+        # "System Diagnostics" are enabled (go to the Azure Pipelines web UI,
+        # click on "Run pipeline" to manually run a pipeline, and check "Enable
+        # system diagnostics".)
+        print("##vso[task.setvariable variable={}]{}".format(key, value))
+
+    return 0
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
+        print("Usage: {} VARS_FILE".format(sys.argv[0]))
+        sys.exit(1)
+    sys.exit(vars_to_logging_cmd(sys.argv[1]))