diff --git a/functions-common b/functions-common
index d2d91bca94..94ab34763e 100644
--- a/functions-common
+++ b/functions-common
@@ -1162,7 +1162,7 @@ function uninstall_package {
     if is_ubuntu; then
         apt_get purge "$@"
     elif is_fedora; then
-        sudo yum remove -y "$@"
+        sudo $YUM remove -y "$@" ||:
     elif is_suse; then
         sudo zypper rm "$@"
     else
@@ -1171,7 +1171,7 @@ function uninstall_package {
 }
 
 # Wrapper for ``yum`` to set proxy environment variables
-# Uses globals ``OFFLINE``, ``*_proxy``
+# Uses globals ``OFFLINE``, ``*_proxy``, ``YUM``
 # yum_install package [package ...]
 function yum_install {
     [[ "$OFFLINE" = "True" ]] && return
@@ -1183,7 +1183,7 @@ function yum_install {
     # https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=965567
     $sudo http_proxy=$http_proxy https_proxy=$https_proxy \
         no_proxy=$no_proxy \
-        yum install -y "$@" 2>&1 | \
+        $YUM install -y "$@" 2>&1 | \
         awk '
             BEGIN { fail=0 }
             /No package/ { fail=1 }
@@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ function yum_install {
 
     # also ensure we catch a yum failure
     if [[ ${PIPESTATUS[0]} != 0 ]]; then
-        die $LINENO "Yum install failure"
+        die $LINENO "$YUM install failure"
     fi
 }
 
diff --git a/stackrc b/stackrc
index cec755b72b..b15429778c 100644
--- a/stackrc
+++ b/stackrc
@@ -639,6 +639,12 @@ API_WORKERS=${API_WORKERS:=$(( ($(nproc)/2)<2 ? 2 : ($(nproc)/2) ))}
 # Service startup timeout
 SERVICE_TIMEOUT=${SERVICE_TIMEOUT:-60}
 
+# Support alternative yum -- in future Fedora 'dnf' will become the
+# only supported installer, but for now 'yum' and 'dnf' are both
+# available in parallel with compatible CLIs.  Allow manual switching
+# till we get to the point we need to handle this automatically
+YUM=${YUM:-yum}
+
 # Following entries need to be last items in file
 
 # Local variables: