diff --git a/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/provision_builder_tasks.yml b/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/provision_builder_tasks.yml
index b7a85ca8f5..acd5b87290 100644
--- a/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/provision_builder_tasks.yml
+++ b/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/provision_builder_tasks.yml
@@ -151,8 +151,15 @@
 - name: root authorized_keys
   authorized_key: user=root key='{{ lookup('file', 'files/buildsys.pub') }}'
 
-- lineinfile: dest=/etc/security/limits.conf line="* soft nofile 10240" insertafter=EOF
-- lineinfile: dest=/etc/security/limits.conf line="* hard nofile 10240" insertafter=EOF
+- name: increase soft limit for opened file descriptors
+  lineinfile: dest=/etc/security/limits.conf line="* soft nofile 10240" insertafter=EOF
+  when:
+    - prepare_base_image is defined
+
+- name: increase hard limit for opened file descriptors
+  lineinfile: dest=/etc/security/limits.conf line="* hard nofile 10240" insertafter=EOF
+  when:
+    - prepare_base_image is defined
 
 - name: disable core dumps
   ini_file: dest=/etc/systemd/coredump.conf section=Coredump option=Storage value=none