diff --git a/deployment/podman/podman-baremetal-ansible.yaml b/deployment/podman/podman-baremetal-ansible.yaml
index 4d52327814..b8b7996359 100644
--- a/deployment/podman/podman-baremetal-ansible.yaml
+++ b/deployment/podman/podman-baremetal-ansible.yaml
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ parameters:
                  additional ordering dependencies for the systemd
                  scopes associated to podman containers.
     type: boolean
+  deployment_source_hosts:
+    default: 'Undercloud'
+    type: string
+    description: Host or hostgroup that runs the deployment
 
 conditions:
   insecure_registry_is_empty: {equals : [{get_param: DockerInsecureRegistryAddress}, []]}
@@ -221,19 +225,37 @@ outputs:
               when: pcs_stat.stat.exists
 
       post_upgrade_tasks:
+        # Podman purge tasks are disabled on the undercloud since the ephemeral
+        # Heat images need to be kept. When commit
+        # https://github.com/containers/podman/commit/a5ad36c65ea07d839fd9bf55a820c8cb9884eed1
+        # is available in the podman version used by TripleO, the ephemeral
+        # Heat images could be labeled in a way that they could be kept with
+        # --fitler, and these tasks could be re-enabled on the undercloud.
         - name: Purge Podman
           when:
             - (step | int) == 3
             - container_cli == 'podman'
+            - deployment_source_hosts not in group_names
           include_role:
             name: tripleo_podman
             tasks_from: tripleo_podman_purge.yml
+          vars:
+            deployment_source_hosts: {get_param: deployment_source_hosts}
 
       post_update_tasks:
+        # Podman purge tasks are disabled on the undercloud since the ephemeral
+        # Heat images need to be kept. When commit
+        # https://github.com/containers/podman/commit/a5ad36c65ea07d839fd9bf55a820c8cb9884eed1
+        # is available in the podman version used by TripleO, the ephemeral
+        # Heat images could be labeled in a way that they could be kept with
+        # --fitler, and these tasks could be re-enabled on the undercloud.
         - name: Purge Podman
           when:
             - (step | int) == 3
             - container_cli == 'podman'
+            - deployment_source_hosts not in group_names
           include_role:
             name: tripleo_podman
             tasks_from: tripleo_podman_purge.yml
+          vars:
+            deployment_source_hosts: {get_param: deployment_source_hosts}
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/skip-podman-purge-undercloud-a3a30b5ac3a0951b.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/skip-podman-purge-undercloud-a3a30b5ac3a0951b.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e2ad1facce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/skip-podman-purge-undercloud-a3a30b5ac3a0951b.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+other:
+  - |
+    "podman image prune" is no longer used on the undercloud to remove unused
+    images during the undercloud update/upgrade. With the usage of ephemeral
+    Heat, not all images will always be used by running or stopped containers,
+    so "podman image prune" should not be used to clean up the local container
+    image storage. Images that are no longer being used can still be removed
+    individually with "podman rmi".