diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index d90934b2..353f5fd7 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ rabbitmq_erlang_repo_url: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_repo_url }}"
 rabbitmq_erlang_repo: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_repo }}"
 
 # Choose file, distro, external_repo for rabbitmq_install_method.
-rabbitmq_install_method: "file"
+rabbitmq_install_method: "{{ _rabbitmq_install_method }}"
 
 # Name of the rabbitmq cluster
 rabbitmq_cluster_name: rabbitmq_cluster1
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/optimize-centos-erlang-install-bafd1c376ffca35e.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/optimize-centos-erlang-install-bafd1c376ffca35e.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d11cd06f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/optimize-centos-erlang-install-bafd1c376ffca35e.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    The installation of Erlang and is now optimized for CentOS.
+    Erlang 19.x is now installed via a single package that is maintained by
+    RabbitMQ developers and it provides the minimal features required for
+    RabbitMQ to function. It also includes HiPE support for increased
+    performance.
+
+    The version of Erlang is kept constant using yum's versionlock plugin.
+  - |
+    RabbitMQ is now installed via an RPM repository provided by RabbitMQ
+    developers. The version is kept constant via yum's versionlock plugin.
+    This allows the tasks to lock the RabbitMQ version to a particular
+    revision and prevent changes to that version.
diff --git a/tasks/install_yum.yml b/tasks/install_yum.yml
index 82d4b661..9e17aa4c 100644
--- a/tasks/install_yum.yml
+++ b/tasks/install_yum.yml
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
     sslverify: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.sslverify | default(omit) }}"
     sslcacert: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.sslcacert | default(omit) }}"
   when:
-    - rabbitmq_install_method != 'file'
+    - rabbitmq_install_method == 'external_repo'
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-repos
 
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@
     gpgkey: "{{ rabbitmq_erlang_repo.gpgkey | default(omit) }}"
     sslverify: "{{ rabbitmq_erlang_repo.sslverify | default(omit) }}"
     sslcacert: "{{ rabbitmq_erlang_repo.sslcacert | default(omit) }}"
+  when:
+    - rabbitmq_install_method == 'external_repo'
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-repos
 
@@ -80,6 +82,8 @@
       --setopt="{{ item.name }}.priority={{ item.priority }}"
   changed_when: false
   with_items:
+    - name: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.name }}"
+      priority: 40
     - name: "{{ rabbitmq_erlang_repo.name }}"
       priority: 40
   tags:
@@ -92,41 +96,34 @@
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-yum-packages
 
-- name: Lock version of erlang packages
-  command: yum versionlock add erlang*19.3*
-  register: yum_versionlock_erlang
-  changed_when: "yum_versionlock_erlang.stdout.find('versionlock added: 0') == -1"
+- name: Gather a list of the currently locked versions
+  command: yum versionlock list
+  register: yum_versionlock_list
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-yum-packages
 
-- name: Install RabbitMQ package dependencies
-  package:
-    pkg: "{{ rabbitmq_dependencies }}"
-    state: "{{ rabbitmq_package_state }}"
-  register: install_packages
-  until: install_packages|success
-  retries: 5
-  delay: 2
+- name: Lock package versions
+  shell: |
+    yum versionlock delete {{ item.pkg_name }}
+    yum versionlock add {{ item.pkg_spec }}
+  args:
+    warn: no
+  when:
+    - item.pkg_spec not in yum_versionlock_list.stdout
+  with_items:
+    - { 'pkg_name': 'erlang', 'pkg_spec': "erlang-19*" }
+    - { 'pkg_name': 'rabbitmq-server', 'pkg_spec': "rabbitmq-server-{{ rabbitmq_release_version }}*" }
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-yum-packages
 
+# NOTE(mhayden): With the version locks applied, this step will install
+# the correct version of RabbitMQ along with the correct version of the
+# all-in-one erlang package.
 - name: Install RabbitMQ packages
   package:
-    name: "{{ (rabbitmq_install_method == 'file') | ternary(rabbitmq_package_path, rabbitmq_distro_packages) }}"
+    name: "{{ rabbitmq_distro_packages }}"
+    state: "{{ rabbitmq_package_state }}"
   register: install_rabbitmq
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-package-rpm
     - rabbitmq-yum-packages
-
-- name: Install RabbitMQ package dependencies for external_repo usage
-  package:
-    pkg: "{{ rabbitmq_mirror_dependencies }}"
-    state: "{{ rabbitmq_package_state }}"
-  register: install_packages
-  until: install_packages|success
-  retries: 5
-  delay: 2
-  when:
-    - rabbitmq_install_method != 'file'
-  tags:
-    - rabbitmq-yum-packages
diff --git a/tests/test-vars.yml b/tests/test-vars.yml
index 7f4ee6b4..50979205 100644
--- a/tests/test-vars.yml
+++ b/tests/test-vars.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ rabbitmq_ssl_cert: /etc/rabbitmq/rabbitmq.pem
 rabbitmq_ssl_key: /etc/rabbitmq/rabbitmq.key
 
 rabbitmq_hipe_compile: True
-rabbitmq_install_method: file
 
 rabbitmq_old_package:
   debian:
diff --git a/vars/debian.yml b/vars/debian.yml
index 6b138a9d..71835b5d 100644
--- a/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/vars/debian.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+_rabbitmq_install_method: file
 _rabbitmq_package_url: "http://www.rabbitmq.com/releases/rabbitmq-server/v3.6.9/rabbitmq-server_3.6.9-1_all.deb"
 _rabbitmq_package_version: "{{ rabbitmq_package_url.split('/')[-1].split('_')[1] }}"
 _rabbitmq_release_version: "{{ rabbitmq_package_version.split('-')[0] }}"
diff --git a/vars/redhat.yml b/vars/redhat.yml
index 55e6fc6d..596fa944 100644
--- a/vars/redhat.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+_rabbitmq_install_method: external_repo
 _rabbitmq_package_url: "http://www.rabbitmq.com/releases/rabbitmq-server/v3.6.9/rabbitmq-server-3.6.9-1.el7.noarch.rpm"
 _rabbitmq_package_version: "{{ rabbitmq_package_url.split('/')[-1].rsplit('.', 1)[0] }}"
 _rabbitmq_release_version: "{{ rabbitmq_package_version.split('-')[2] }}"
@@ -22,15 +23,14 @@ _rabbitmq_package_path: "/opt/rabbitmq-server.rpm"
 _rabbitmq_gpg_keys:
   - key_name: 'rabbitmq-release-signing-key.asc'
     keyserver: 'https://www.rabbitmq.com'
-  - key_name: 'erlang_solutions.asc'
-    keyserver: 'https://packages.erlang-solutions.com/ubuntu'
+  - key_name: 'gpgkey'
+    keyserver: 'https://packagecloud.io/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-server/'
 
 _rabbitmq_repo_url: "https://packagecloud.io/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-server/el/7/$basearch"
 _rabbitmq_repo:
   name: rabbitmq_rabbitmq-server
   description: "RabbitMQ Server Rolling Repository"
   baseurl: "{{ rabbitmq_repo_url }}"
-  repo_gpgcheck: yes
   state: "present"
   gpgkey: "https://packagecloud.io/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-server/gpgkey"
   filename: RabbitMQ
@@ -38,23 +38,14 @@ _rabbitmq_repo:
   #sslverify: no
   #sslcacert: /etc/pki/tls/certs/ca-bundle.crt
 
-_rabbitmq_erlang_repo_url: "https://packages.erlang-solutions.com/rpm/centos/$releasever/$basearch"
+_rabbitmq_erlang_repo_url: "https://dl.bintray.com/rabbitmq/rpm/erlang/19/el/7"
 _rabbitmq_erlang_repo:
   name: rabbitmq_els-erlang
-  description: "Erlang Solutions Erlang"
+  description: "RabbitMQ Erlang Packages from Bintray"
   baseurl: "{{ rabbitmq_erlang_repo_url }}"
-  repo_gpgcheck: no
   state: "present"
   filename: els-erlang
 
-rabbitmq_dependencies:
-  - erlang-hipe
-  - openssl
-  - socat
-
-rabbitmq_mirror_dependencies:
-  - pygpgme
-  - yum-utils
-
 rabbitmq_distro_packages:
+  - openssl
   - rabbitmq-server
diff --git a/vars/suse.yml b/vars/suse.yml
index f56f6aa6..ffc8932f 100644
--- a/vars/suse.yml
+++ b/vars/suse.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 # Even though we install the rabbitmq-server from the openSUSE repositories
 # (the Ocata OBS project) we still add these here in case we use them in the
 # future.
+_rabbitmq_install_method: file
 _rabbitmq_package_url: "http://www.rabbitmq.com/releases/rabbitmq-server/v3.6.9/rabbitmq-server-3.6.9-1.suse.noarch.rpm"
 _rabbitmq_package_version: "{{ rabbitmq_package_url.split('/')[-1].rsplit('.', 1)[0] }}"
 _rabbitmq_release_version: "{{ rabbitmq_package_version.split('-')[2] }}"