diff --git a/bindep.txt b/bindep.txt
index 4cc867949..4f3b0b955 100644
--- a/bindep.txt
+++ b/bindep.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# NOTE(rpittau): the EPEL repository for centos 9 stream should be
-# epel-next but it's not ready yet
-epel-release        [platform:centos-8 platform:rhel-8]
 gcc
 git
 libffi-devel        [platform:redhat platform:suse]
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/bifrost-ironic-install/defaults/main.yml b/playbooks/roles/bifrost-ironic-install/defaults/main.yml
index b7fd8e058..fa4591a8b 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/bifrost-ironic-install/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/bifrost-ironic-install/defaults/main.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ create_image_via_dib: "{{ not use_cirros | default(false) | bool }}"
 create_ipa_image: false
 dib_image_type: vm
 dib_os_element: "debian"
+enable_epel: "{{ install_dib | bool }}"
 # Setting to install diskimage-builder
 install_dib: "{{ create_image_via_dib | bool or create_ipa_image | bool }}"
 ironic_debug: true
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/bifrost-ironic-install/tasks/install.yml b/playbooks/roles/bifrost-ironic-install/tasks/install.yml
index 6eaf3dceb..0473a8828 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/bifrost-ironic-install/tasks/install.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/bifrost-ironic-install/tasks/install.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,26 @@
   apt: update_cache=yes
   when: ansible_os_family == 'Debian'
 
+- block:
+  - name: "Enable powertools repository for CentOS Stream 8"
+    command: dnf config-manager --set-enabled powertools
+  - name: "Enable EPEL repository for CentOS Stream 8"
+    command: dnf install -y epel-release
+    when:
+    - enable_epel | bool
+    - dib_os_element == "debian"
+  when:
+  - ansible_distribution == "CentOS"
+  - ansible_distribution_version|int == 8
+
+- name: "Enable EPEL repository for CentOS Stream 9"
+  command: dnf install -y https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/epel-release-latest-9.noarch.rpm
+  when:
+  - enable_epel | bool
+  - dib_os_element == "debian"
+  - ansible_distribution == "CentOS"
+  - ansible_distribution_version|int >= 9
+
 - name: "Install packages"
   package:
     name: "{{ required_packages }}"
@@ -57,7 +77,18 @@
   package:
     name: "{{ dib_host_required_packages | select | list }}"
     state: present
-  when: install_dib | bool
+  when:
+   - install_dib | bool
+   - ansible_distribution != "CentOS"
+
+- name: Ensure required packages are installed
+  dnf:
+    name: "{{ dib_host_required_packages | select | list }}"
+    enablerepo: epel
+    state: present
+  when:
+   - install_dib | bool
+   - ansible_distribution == "CentOS"
 
 - name: "sushy - Install"
   include_role:
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/conditional-epel-b52ad3ad29f195f5.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/conditional-epel-b52ad3ad29f195f5.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b58418413
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/conditional-epel-b52ad3ad29f195f5.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Add a boolean variable ``enable_epel`` that allows to enable the epel
+    repository for CentOS Stream 8/9. Since we need that only when
+    building a debian-based IPA image, the default value is set to
+    ``install_dib`` and its installation depends on the value of the
+    dib_os_element used.
diff --git a/scripts/test-bifrost.sh b/scripts/test-bifrost.sh
index 1a4b4a59e..a8f455c91 100755
--- a/scripts/test-bifrost.sh
+++ b/scripts/test-bifrost.sh
@@ -97,16 +97,6 @@ elif [ ${BUILD_IMAGE} = "true" ]; then
     DOWNLOAD_IPA=false
     CREATE_IPA_IMAGE=true
 
-    # if running in OpenStack CI, then make sure epel is enabled
-    # since it may already be present (but disabled) on the host
-    # we need epel for debootstrap
-    if env | grep -q ^ZUUL; then
-        if [[ "$OS_DISTRO" == "rhel" ]] || [[ "$OS_DISTRO" == "centos" ]]; then
-            sudo dnf install -y dnf-utils
-            sudo dnf install -y epel-release || true
-            sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled epel || true
-        fi
-    fi
 elif [ ${ENABLE_KEYSTONE} = "true" ]; then
     NOAUTH_MODE=false
     CLOUD_CONFIG+=" -e cloud_name=bifrost"