diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 3649cb94..e291fd57 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ cache_timeout: 600
 # Options are 'present' and 'latest'
 rabbitmq_package_state: "latest"
 
+# Defined versions of RabbitMQ and Erlang
+rabbitmq_package_version: "4.0.3-1"
+rabbitmq_erlang_package_version: "26.2.*-1"
+
 # Inventory group containing the hosts for the cluster
 rabbitmq_host_group: "rabbitmq_all"
 
@@ -51,7 +55,6 @@ rabbitmq_upgrade: false
 rabbitmq_ignore_version_state: false
 
 rabbitmq_package_url: ""
-rabbitmq_package_version: "{{ _rabbitmq_package_version }}"
 rabbitmq_package_sha256: ""
 rabbitmq_package_path: ""
 
@@ -86,9 +89,6 @@ rabbitmq_erlang_repo_url: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_repo_url | default(null) }}"
 # Set the repo information for the Erlang repository
 rabbitmq_erlang_repo: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_repo | default({}) }}"
 
-# Set the elang version used on the deployment
-rabbitmq_erlang_package_version: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_package_version }}"
-
 # Choose file, distro, external_repo for rabbitmq_install_method.
 rabbitmq_install_method: "{{ _rabbitmq_install_method }}"
 rabbitmq_erlang_install_method: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_install_method | default(rabbitmq_install_method) }}"
diff --git a/vars/debian.yml b/vars/debian.yml
index 0f9f0f9a..733303bf 100644
--- a/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/vars/debian.yml
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 _rabbitmq_install_method: external_repo
-_rabbitmq_package_version: "4.0.3-1"
-_rabbitmq_erlang_package_version: "26.2.*-1"
 
 _rabbitmq_repo_url: "https://ppa1.rabbitmq.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-server/deb/{{ ansible_facts['distribution'] | lower }}"
 _rabbitmq_repo:
diff --git a/vars/redhat.yml b/vars/redhat.yml
index 329b0407..4ed6611b 100644
--- a/vars/redhat.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat.yml
@@ -14,12 +14,11 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 _rabbitmq_install_method: external_repo
-_rabbitmq_package_version: "4.0.3-1"
+
 # NOTE(nhanlon) 2023-05-30: although the package repository is marked
 # el9, the packages themselves still have an el8 dist tag for rabbitmq
 _rabbitmq_package_dist_tag: "el8"
 
-_rabbitmq_erlang_package_version: "26.2.*-1"
 _rabbitmq_erlang_package_dist_tag: "el{{ ansible_facts['distribution_major_version'] }}"
 
 # NOTE(noonedeadpunk): List of available packages can be searched here: https://cloudsmith.io/~rabbitmq/repos/