diff --git a/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/copr-rh-subscribe.sh b/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/copr-rh-subscribe.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..5538001740
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/copr-rh-subscribe.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+
+die()
+{
+    echo >&2 "ERROR: $*" && exit 1
+}
+
+show_help()
+{
+cat <<EOHELP >&2
+Usage: $0 --pool-id POOL_ID --user USER --pass PASS --system NAME
+EOHELP
+
+test -z "$1" || exit "$1"
+}
+
+# handle no arguments
+test ${#@} -eq 0 && show_help 1
+
+ARGS=$(getopt -o "h" -l "pool-id:,user:,pass:,system:,help" -n "getopt" -- "$@") \
+    || show_help 1
+eval set -- "$ARGS"
+
+option_variable()
+{
+    # Function to convert '--some-option' to '$opt_some_option".
+    opt=$1
+    opt=${1##--}
+    opt=${opt##-}
+    opt=${opt//-/_}
+    option_variable_result=opt_$opt
+}
+
+opt_system=
+opt_user=
+opt_pass=
+opt_pool_id=
+
+while true; do
+    case $1 in
+    -h|--help)
+        show_help 0
+        ;;
+
+    --pool-id|--user|--pass|--system)
+        option_variable "$1"
+        eval "$option_variable_result=\$2"
+        shift 2
+        ;;
+
+    --) shift; break;;  # end
+    *) echo "programmer mistake ($1)" >&2; exit 1;;
+    esac
+done
+
+set -x
+provided=true
+
+for i in system user pass pool_id; do
+    varname=opt_$i
+    if eval 'test -z "$'"$varname"'"'; then
+        provided=false
+        echo >&2 "$varname required"
+    fi
+done
+$provided || die "some options missing"
+
+try_indefinitely()
+{
+    cmd=( "$@" )
+    while :; do
+        if "${cmd[@]}"; then
+            break
+        fi
+        sleep 5
+    done
+}
+
+try_indefinitely subscription-manager register --force \
+        --username "$opt_user" \
+        --password "$opt_pass" \
+        --name "$opt_system"
+try_indefinitely subscription-manager attach --pool "$opt_pool_id"
diff --git a/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/provision_builder_tasks.yml b/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/provision_builder_tasks.yml
index 9f97404f60..df9f9ef2f9 100644
--- a/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/provision_builder_tasks.yml
+++ b/roles/copr/backend/files/provision/provision_builder_tasks.yml
@@ -86,30 +86,20 @@
   # subscription-manager by default.
   when: "'subscription-manager' not in ansible_facts.packages"
 
+- name: install the subscription-manager script
+  copy:
+    src: copr-rh-subscribe.sh
+    dest: /usr/local/bin/copr-rh-subscribe.sh
+
 - name: Activate Red Hat Subscription
-  community.general.redhat_subscription:
-    state: present
-    username: copr-team
-    force_register: true
-    password: "{{ copr_red_hat_subscription_password }}"
-    consumer_name: "{{ lookup('env', 'RESALLOC_NAME') | default('unknown-builder') }}"
-    server_hostname: subscription.rhsm.redhat.com
-    pool_ids:
-      - "8a85f9a17c71102f017ce611251c770f"
-  when:
-    - prepare_base_image is not defined
-    - copr_red_hat_subscription_password is defined
-  tags:
-    - red_hat_subscription
-  ignore_errors: true
-  register: subscription
-
-- name: Cleanup subscription before failure
-  shell: subscription-manager unregister
-  when: subscription.failed
-
-- fail: msg="Could not subscribe"
-  when: subscription.failed
+  shell:
+    cmd: >
+      /usr/local/bin/copr-rh-subscribe.sh \
+      --pool-id 8a85f9a17c71102f017ce611251c770f \
+      --user copr-team \
+      --pass "{{ copr_red_hat_subscription_password }}" \
+      --system "{{ lookup('env', 'RESALLOC_NAME') | default('unknown-builder') }}"
+  no_log: true
 
 - name: install copr-builder and other latest packages
   dnf: state=latest pkg={{ packages }}