diff --git a/roles/openqa/server/tasks/main.yml b/roles/openqa/server/tasks/main.yml
index a381ac9119..650237386d 100644
--- a/roles/openqa/server/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/openqa/server/tasks/main.yml
@@ -202,12 +202,8 @@
   tags:
   - config
 
-# we redirect stdout to stderr here to account for a difference between
-# openQA <= 4.4-32 (currently in prod) and openQA >= 4.4-33 (currently in
-# stg). When 4.4-33 or later is in prod, we can drop that and go back to
-# command instead of shell
 - name: Initialize database
-  shell: "/usr/share/openqa/script/initdb --user geekotest --init_database 1>&2"
+  shell: "/usr/share/openqa/script/initdb --user geekotest --init_database"
   register: initdb
   changed_when: "initdb.rc == 0"
   failed_when: "(initdb.rc > 0) and (initdb.stderr is not defined or initdb.stderr.find('already exists') == -1)"