diff --git a/zaza/charm_lifecycle/deploy.py b/zaza/charm_lifecycle/deploy.py
index 1abec01..872bdf8 100755
--- a/zaza/charm_lifecycle/deploy.py
+++ b/zaza/charm_lifecycle/deploy.py
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ VALID_ENVIRONMENT_KEY_PREFIXES = [
     'OS_',
     'VIP_RANGE',
 ]
-LOCAL_OVERLAY_TEMPLATE = ""
+LOCAL_OVERLAY_TEMPLATE = """
+applications:
+  {{ charm_name }}:
+    charm: {{ charm_location }}
+"""
 LOCAL_OVERLAY_TEMPLATE_NAME = 'local-charm-overlay.yaml'