diff --git a/ansible-scylla-node/tasks/RedHat.yml b/ansible-scylla-node/tasks/RedHat.yml
index 891b467c..1a91bca6 100644
--- a/ansible-scylla-node/tasks/RedHat.yml
+++ b/ansible-scylla-node/tasks/RedHat.yml
@@ -37,18 +37,6 @@
         lock_timeout: 60
       register: kernel_installed
 
-    - name:
-      package:
-        name:
-          - kernel
-          - kernel-ml
-        state: absent
-
-    - name: Needs restarting?
-      command: needs-restarting -r
-      register: restart_required
-      ignore_errors: yes
-
     - name: Configure grub2 to boot first entry
       lineinfile:
         dest: /etc/default/grub
@@ -69,6 +57,11 @@
       command: grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
       when: kernel_installed.changed
 
+    - name: Needs restarting?
+      command: needs-restarting -r
+      register: restart_required
+      ignore_errors: yes
+
     - name: Reboot host and wait for it to restart
       reboot:
         msg: "Reboot initiated by Ansible"
@@ -77,7 +70,15 @@
         pre_reboot_delay: 0
         post_reboot_delay: 30
         test_command: whoami
-      when: (reboot_after_kernel_upgrade|bool and kernel_installed.changed) r restart_required.rc == 1
+      when: (reboot_after_kernel_upgrade|bool and kernel_installed.changed) or restart_required.rc == 1
+
+    - name: Remove old kernels
+      package:
+        name:
+          - kernel
+          - kernel-ml
+        state: absent
+
   when: elrepo_kernel|bool and install_type == 'online' and (ansible_distribution == "CentOS" or ansible_distribution == "RedHat")
   become: true