diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 2f5c8108..9f5cc4aa 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ rabbitmq_erlang_repo_url: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_repo_url | default(null) }}"
 rabbitmq_erlang_repo: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_repo | default({}) }}"
 
 # Set the elang version used on the deployment
-rabbitmq_erlang_version_spec: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_version_spec | default(null) }}"
+rabbitmq_erlang_package_version: "{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_package_version }}"
 
 # Choose file, distro, external_repo for rabbitmq_install_method.
 rabbitmq_install_method: "{{ _rabbitmq_install_method }}"
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/erlang_version_spec-ee21ffe0a1d34576.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/erlang_version_spec-ee21ffe0a1d34576.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..78796154
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/erlang_version_spec-ee21ffe0a1d34576.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Added a variable ``rabbitmq_erlang_package_version`` that can be used to
+    define an erlang version being used when ``external_repo`` is used as
+    package source.
+
+deprecations:
+  - |
+    Variable ``rabbitmq_erlang_version_spec`` has been deprecated and does not
+    have any effect anymore. Please, use ``rabbitmq_erlang_package_version``
+    instead.
diff --git a/tasks/install_apt.yml b/tasks/install_apt.yml
index 2544758e..98b04fd3 100644
--- a/tasks/install_apt.yml
+++ b/tasks/install_apt.yml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
       - package: "*"
         release: "cloudsmith/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-erlang"
       - package: "erlang*"
-        version: "{{ rabbitmq_erlang_version_spec }}"
+        version: "1:{{ rabbitmq_erlang_package_version }}"
         priority: 1000
       - package: "rabbitmq-server"
         version: "{{ rabbitmq_package_version }}"
diff --git a/vars/debian.yml b/vars/debian.yml
index 8bdb191f..a697a2c2 100644
--- a/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/vars/debian.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 _rabbitmq_install_method: external_repo
 _rabbitmq_package_version: "3.13.7-1"
+_rabbitmq_erlang_package_version: "26.2.*-1"
 
 _rabbitmq_repo_url: "https://ppa1.rabbitmq.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-server/deb/{{ ansible_facts['distribution'] | lower }}"
 _rabbitmq_repo:
@@ -36,8 +37,6 @@ _rabbitmq_erlang_repo:
     architectures: "{{ rabbitmq_architecture_mapping.get(ansible_facts['architecture']) }}"
     state: "{{ (rabbitmq_install_method == 'external_repo') | ternary('present', 'absent') }}"
 
-_rabbitmq_erlang_version_spec: "{{ (rabbitmq_install_method == 'external_repo') | ternary('1:26.2.*-1', '1:24.*') }}"
-
 rabbitmq_dependencies:
   - erlang-base
   - erlang-diameter
diff --git a/vars/redhat.yml b/vars/redhat.yml
index 8c5724aa..a11be908 100644
--- a/vars/redhat.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat.yml
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ _rabbitmq_package_version: "3.13.7-1"
 # el9, the packages themselves still have an el8 dist tag for rabbitmq
 _rabbitmq_package_dist_tag: "el8"
 
-_erlang_package_version: "26.2.*-1"
-_erlang_package_dist_tag: "el{{ ansible_facts['distribution_major_version'] }}"
+_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/
 _rabbitmq_repo_url: "https://yum1.rabbitmq.com/rabbitmq/el/{{ ansible_facts['distribution_major_version'] | lower }}/noarch"
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ rabbitmq_distro_packages_mapping:
     - rabbitmq-server
   external_repo:
     - openssl
-    - "erlang-{{ _erlang_package_version }}.{{ _erlang_package_dist_tag }}.{{ ansible_facts['architecture'] }}"
+    - "erlang-{{ rabbitmq_erlang_package_version }}.{{ _rabbitmq_erlang_package_dist_tag }}.{{ ansible_facts['architecture'] }}"
     - "rabbitmq-server-{{ rabbitmq_package_version }}.{{ _rabbitmq_package_dist_tag }}.noarch"
 
 rabbitmq_distro_packages: "{{ rabbitmq_distro_packages_mapping[rabbitmq_install_method] }}"