diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/defaults/main.yml
index 0abffa7915..418416f82f 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 kafka_version: 2.6.0
 scala_version: 2.12
 kafka_bin_filename: "kafka_2.12-2.6.0.tgz"
+kafka_install_dir: "/opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version }}"
+
 prometheus_jmx_exporter_path: /opt/jmx-exporter/jmx_prometheus_javaagent.jar
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/common/download_and_unpack_binary.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/common/download_and_unpack_binary.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3f7450c9a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/common/download_and_unpack_binary.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+---
+
+- name: Download Kafka binaries
+  include_role:
+    name: download
+    tasks_from: download_file
+  vars:
+    file_name: "{{ kafka_bin_filename }}"
+
+- name: Uncompress the Kafka tar
+  unarchive:
+    remote_src: yes
+    creates: "{{ kafka_install_dir }}"
+    src: "{{ download_directory }}/{{ kafka_bin_filename }}"
+    dest: /opt
+
+- name: Change ownership on Kafka directory
+  file:
+    path: "{{ kafka_install_dir }}"
+    state: directory
+    owner: kafka
+    group: kafka
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/start.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/common/start.yml
similarity index 92%
rename from ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/start.yml
rename to ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/common/start.yml
index 47a87e4181..7ea0224c90 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/start.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/common/start.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     name: kafka
     state: started
     enabled: yes
+    daemon-reload: yes
 
 # - name: wait for kafka port
 #   wait_for: host={{kafka.listen_address| default('localhost')}} port={{kafka.port}} state=started timeout={{ kafka.wait_for_period }}
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/common/stop.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/common/stop.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..27b4ab806e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/common/stop.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+
+- name: Stop Kafka
+  systemd:
+    name: kafka
+    state: stopped
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/main.yml
index 30df870093..d9bfcf2938 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/main.yml
@@ -13,5 +13,4 @@
 - include_tasks: metrics.yml
   when: exporter.stat.exists
 
-- include_tasks: start.yml
-
+- include_tasks: common/start.yml
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/metrics.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/metrics.yml
index 519d2476ff..5860540c83 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/metrics.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/metrics.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     append: yes
 
 - name: prometheus jmx | configuration file
-  become: yes
+  become: true
   copy:
     dest: "{{ specification.prometheus_jmx_config }}"
     src: jmx-kafka-config.yml
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/setup-kafka.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/setup-kafka.yml
index 7b793c8191..4db5b1fc6c 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/setup-kafka.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/setup-kafka.yml
@@ -24,16 +24,8 @@
   module_defaults:
     yum: { lock_timeout: "{{ yum_lock_timeout }}" }
 
-- name: Set Kafka file name to install
-  set_fact:
-    kafka_file_name: "{{ kafka_bin_filename }}"
-
-- name: Download Kafka binaries
-  include_role:
-    name: download
-    tasks_from: download_file
-  vars:
-    file_name: "{{ kafka_file_name }}"
+- name: Download and unpack Kafka's binary
+  include_tasks: common/download_and_unpack_binary.yml
 
 - name: Add Kafka's bin dir to the PATH
   copy:
@@ -41,31 +33,11 @@
     dest: "/etc/profile.d/kafka_path.sh"
     mode: 0755
 
-- name: Check for Kafka package
-  stat:
-    path: /opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version }}/bin/kafka-server-start.sh
-  register: kafka_package
-
-- name: Uncompress the Kafka tar
-  unarchive:
-    remote_src: yes
-    creates: /opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version }}
-    src: "{{ download_directory }}/{{ kafka_file_name }}"
-    dest: /opt
-  when: not kafka_package.stat.exists
-
-- name: Change ownership on kafka directory.
-  file:
-    path: /opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version }}
-    state: directory
-    owner: kafka
-    group: kafka
-
 - name: Link /opt/kafka to the right version
   file:
-    dest: /opt/kafka
+    path: /opt/kafka
     state: link
-    src: /opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version }}
+    src: "{{ kafka_install_dir }}"
 
 - name: Create systemd config
   template:
@@ -78,7 +50,8 @@
     - restart kafka
 
 - name: Reload daemon
-  command: systemctl daemon-reload
+  systemd:
+    daemon-reload: yes
 
 - name: Create data_dir
   file:
@@ -114,7 +87,7 @@
 # Setup log4j.properties
 - name: Create log4j.properties
   file:
-    dest: "{{ specification.kafka_var.conf_dir }}/log4j.properties"
+    path: "{{ specification.kafka_var.conf_dir }}/log4j.properties"
     owner: "{{ specification.kafka_var.user }}"
     group: "{{ specification.kafka_var.group }}"
     mode: 0644
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/stop.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/stop.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index d8416fb302..0000000000
--- a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/stop.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
----
-
-- name: Stop Kafka
-  service: name=kafka state=stopped
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/install-upgrade.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/install-upgrade.yml
index eb2448e81d..68ead8df3c 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/install-upgrade.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/install-upgrade.yml
@@ -1,45 +1,24 @@
 ---
-- name: Set Kafka installation file name as fact
-  set_fact:
-    kafka_installation_file_name: "kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version.new }}.tgz"
-
-- name: Download Kafka binaries
-  include_role:
-    name: download
-    tasks_from: download_file
-  vars:
-    file_name: "{{ kafka_installation_file_name }}"
-
-- name: Uncompress Kafka installation file
-  unarchive:
-    remote_src: yes
-    src: "{{ download_directory }}/{{ kafka_installation_file_name }}"
-    dest: /opt
-
-- name: Change ownership on kafka directory
-  file:
-    path: /opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version.new }}
-    state: directory
-    owner: kafka
-    group: kafka
+- name: Download and unpack Kafka's binary
+  include_tasks: common/download_and_unpack_binary.yml
 
 - name: Copy configuration from previous version
   copy:
     remote_src: yes
     src: /opt/kafka/config/
-    dest: /opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version.new }}/config
+    dest: "{{ kafka_install_dir}}/config"
     mode: preserve
 
 - name: Link /opt/kafka to recently installed version
   file:
     dest: /opt/kafka
     state: link
-    src: /opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version.new }}
+    src: "{{ kafka_install_dir}}"
     force: yes
 
 - name: Remove previous version binaries
   file:
-    path: /opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ kafka_version.old }}
+    path: /opt/kafka_{{ scala_version }}-{{ old_kafka_version }}
     state: absent
 
 - name: Get log.dirs property
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/main.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/main.yml
index 68798a0953..d79968d856 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/main.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 ---
-- name: Include defaults from kafka role
-  include_vars:
-    file: roles/kafka/defaults/main.yml
-    name: kafka_defaults
-
 - name: Include pre-flight checks
-  include_tasks: kafka/preflight-check.yml
+  include_tasks: upgrade/preflight-check.yml
 
 - name: Get installed Kafka version
   shell: >-
@@ -13,13 +8,9 @@
     /opt/kafka/bin/kafka-server-start.sh --version | grep Commit | grep -oP '^\d+\.\d+\.\d+'
   register: result
 
-- name: Set common facts
+- name: Set old Kafka version fact
   set_fact:
-    kafka_version:
-      old: "{{ result.stdout }}"
-      new: "{{ kafka_defaults.kafka_version }}"
-    scala_version: "{{ kafka_defaults.scala_version }}"
-    kafka_bin_filename: "{{ kafka_defaults.kafka_bin_filename }}"
+    old_kafka_version: "{{ result.stdout }}"
 
 - name: Check for upgrade flag file
   stat:
@@ -34,20 +25,18 @@
         state: touch
 
     - name: Stop Kafka service
-      service:
-        name: kafka
-        state: stopped
+      include_tasks: common/stop.yml
 
     - name: Include update Kafka properties tasks
-      include_tasks: kafka/update-properties.yml
+      include_tasks: upgrade/update-properties.yml
 
     - name: Include Kafka upgrade tasks
-      include_tasks: kafka/install-upgrade.yml
+      include_tasks: upgrade/install-upgrade.yml
 
     - name: Include set Kafka version tasks
-      include_tasks: kafka/set-updated-version.yml
+      include_tasks: upgrade/set-updated-version.yml
   when:
-    - lock_file_status.stat.exists or kafka_version.old is version( kafka_version.new, '<' )
+    - lock_file_status.stat.exists or old_kafka_version is version( kafka_version, '<' )
 
 - name: Remove Kafka upgrade flag file
   file:
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/set-updated-version.yml b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/set-updated-version.yml
index 0eda1ed76c..6014cb41f6 100644
--- a/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/set-updated-version.yml
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/roles/kafka/tasks/upgrade/set-updated-version.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,4 @@
     line: "inter.broker.protocol.version={{ kafka_version.new }}"
 
 - name: Start kafka service
-  systemd:
-    name: kafka
-    state: started
-    daemon-reload: yes
+  include_tasks: common/start.yml