diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index e96ad21..0b03e43 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 ---
 # defaults file for mbs
+
+# Which module-build-service pkg we want to deploy/install (pinning a version instead of latest)
+mbs_pkg_version: 3.6.1-7
+
 mbs_platform_url: "https://gitlab.com/redhat/centos-stream/modules/platform/-/raw/el9/platform.yaml"
 mbs_buildtools_repo_gpgkey: "{{ kojid_buildtools_repo_gpgkey | default('') }}"
 mbs_env: "{{ centos_infra_env | default('prod') }}"
@@ -12,17 +16,20 @@ mbs_num_workers: 3
 mbs_celery_max_worker_tasks: 10
 mbs_default_modules_dir: default-modules
 mbs_pki_store: "{{ pkistore | default('./') }}"
+
 # psql
 mbs_postgres_local: True
 mbs_postgres_hostname: localhost
 mbs_postgres_username: mbs
 mbs_postgres_password: mbs
 mbs_postgres_database: mbs
+
 # rabbitmq
 mbs_rabbitmq_local: True
 mbs_rabbitmq_vhost: mbs
 mbs_rabbitmq_username: mbs
 mbs_rabbitmq_password: mbs
+
 # kojihub
 mbs_kojihub_top_url: https://cbs.centos.org
 mbs_kojihub_use_fast_upload: true
@@ -99,11 +106,14 @@ mbs_product_pages_schedule_task_name: ''
 mbs_product_pages_module_streams: {}
 mbs_scratch_build_only_branches: ["^private-.*"]
 mbs_fedmsg_endpoints: ["tcp://127.0.0.1:3001"]
+
 # fedora-messaging
 mbs_fedora_messaging_addrs: ["tcp://hub.fedoraproject.org:9940"]
+
 # relay
 mbs_relay_inbound_addrs: ["tcp://127.0.0.1:3999"]
 mbs_relay_outbound_addrs: ["tcp://127.0.0.1:9941"]
+
 # moksha
 mbs_moksha_monitoring_addr: tcp://0.0.0.0:10030
 # frontend
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index c1680e2..e6329b3 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
---- 
+---
+- name: Importing specific distro variables
+  include_vars: "{{ item }}"
+  with_first_found:
+    - "{{ ansible_distribution }}-{{ ansible_distribution_major_version }}.yml"
+    - "{{ ansible_distribution }}.yml"
+  tags:
+    - vars
+
 # base system setup
 - include_tasks: system.yml
 # rabbitmq
diff --git a/tasks/mbs-backend.yml b/tasks/mbs-backend.yml
index c32b6fb..e39cb1c 100644
--- a/tasks/mbs-backend.yml
+++ b/tasks/mbs-backend.yml
@@ -1,14 +1,8 @@
 ---
 - name: Install mbs-backend packages
   yum:
-    name:
-      - module-build-service
-      - python3-stevedore
-      - python3-psycopg2
-      - python3-vine < 5.0.0
-      - python3-pungi >= 4.2.3
-      - python3-qpid-proton
-    state: present
+    name: "{{ mbs_backend_pkgs }}"
+    state: installed
     update_cache: true
   notify:
     - Restart apache
diff --git a/vars/CentOS-8.yml b/vars/CentOS-8.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..531eb06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/CentOS-8.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# el8 specific variables
+
+mbs_backend_pkgs:
+  - module-build-service-{{ mbs_pkg_version }}.el8
+  - python3-stevedore
+  - python3-psycopg2
+  - python3-vine < 5.0.0
+  - python3-pungi >= 4.2.3
+  - python3-qpid-proton
+
diff --git a/vars/RedHat-8.yml b/vars/RedHat-8.yml
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..a38d21e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vars/RedHat-8.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+CentOS-8.yml
\ No newline at end of file