diff --git a/deployment/database/mysql-pacemaker-puppet.yaml b/deployment/database/mysql-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
index 5c2dcaee8c..cff9646e7a 100644
--- a/deployment/database/mysql-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/database/mysql-pacemaker-puppet.yaml
@@ -382,6 +382,11 @@ outputs:
                 container_image_latest: "{{galera_image_latest}}"
               when:
                 - old_galera_image_id.stdout != new_galera_image_id.stdout
+        - name: Ensure mariadb-server is not installed on the host
+          when: step|int == 2
+          yum:
+            name: 'mariadb-server*'
+            state: absent
 
       post_update_tasks:
         - name: Mysql bundle post update
@@ -592,12 +597,6 @@ outputs:
          # So do not exercise the upgrade if mysql is already running.
           when: step|int == 3
           block:
-            # mariadb package changes ownership of /var/lib/mysql on package
-            # update, so update here rather than in tripleo-package, to
-            # guarantee that ownership is fixed at the end of step 3
-            - name: Update host mariadb packages
-              when: step|int == 3
-              package: name=mariadb-server-galera state=latest
             - name: Mysql upgrade script
               set_fact:
                 mysql_upgrade_script:
diff --git a/deployment/tripleo-packages/tripleo-packages-baremetal-puppet.yaml b/deployment/tripleo-packages/tripleo-packages-baremetal-puppet.yaml
index 5f5aae184d..dc2ffeec84 100644
--- a/deployment/tripleo-packages/tripleo-packages-baremetal-puppet.yaml
+++ b/deployment/tripleo-packages/tripleo-packages-baremetal-puppet.yaml
@@ -186,7 +186,8 @@ outputs:
           block:
             - name: remove all OpenStack packages
               shell: |
-                yum -y remove *el7ost* -- \
+                yum -y remove *el7ost* \
+                  mariadb-server* -- \
                   -*openvswitch* \
                   -python2-babel \
                   -python2-dateutil \