diff --git a/infrastructure/server-setup/backups.yml b/infrastructure/server-setup/backups.yml
index 1d5b49f86..66661f13f 100644
--- a/infrastructure/server-setup/backups.yml
+++ b/infrastructure/server-setup/backups.yml
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
 
     - name: Copy rotate_backups.sh file to external_backup_server_user's home directory
       copy:
-        src: infrastructure/backups/rotate_backups.sh
+        src: ../backups/rotate_backups.sh
         dest: '{{ external_backup_server_user_home }}/rotate_backups.sh'
         owner: '{{ external_backup_server_user }}'
         mode: 0755
@@ -155,3 +155,5 @@
         hour: '0'
         job: 'bash {{ external_backup_server_user_home }}/rotate_backups.sh --backup_dir={{ external_backup_server_remote_directory }} --amount_to_keep={{ amount_of_backups_to_keep }} >> /var/log/opencrvs-rotate-backups.log 2>&1'
         state: "{{ 'present' if (amount_of_backups_to_keep) else 'absent' }}"
+      tags:
+        - backups
diff --git a/infrastructure/server-setup/group_vars/all.yml b/infrastructure/server-setup/group_vars/all.yml
index 1529c0347..cf2927713 100644
--- a/infrastructure/server-setup/group_vars/all.yml
+++ b/infrastructure/server-setup/group_vars/all.yml
@@ -10,5 +10,4 @@ ansible_python_interpreter: /usr/bin/python3
 encrypt_data: False
 swap_file_path: /swapfile
 swap_file_size_mb: 8000
-external_backup_server_remote_directory: /home/backup/backups
 external_backup_server_user: 'backup'
diff --git a/infrastructure/server-setup/production.yml b/infrastructure/server-setup/production.yml
index 3e2acb4d2..f66f57101 100644
--- a/infrastructure/server-setup/production.yml
+++ b/infrastructure/server-setup/production.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,5 @@ backups:
   hosts:
     farajaland-qa:
       ansible_host: '165.22.110.53'
-      vars:
-        # @todo how many days to store backups for?
-        amount_of_backups_to_keep: 3
+      # @todo how many days to store backups for?
+      amount_of_backups_to_keep: 3
diff --git a/infrastructure/server-setup/staging.yml b/infrastructure/server-setup/staging.yml
index fd004f448..b466e96d5 100644
--- a/infrastructure/server-setup/staging.yml
+++ b/infrastructure/server-setup/staging.yml
@@ -69,6 +69,5 @@ backups:
   hosts:
     farajaland-qa:
       ansible_host: '165.22.110.53'
-      vars:
-        # @todo how many days to store backups for?
-        amount_of_backups_to_keep: 3
+      # @todo how many days to store backups for?
+      amount_of_backups_to_keep: 3
diff --git a/infrastructure/server-setup/tasks/backups/crontab.yml b/infrastructure/server-setup/tasks/backups/crontab.yml
index c226c96b2..1370e3180 100644
--- a/infrastructure/server-setup/tasks/backups/crontab.yml
+++ b/infrastructure/server-setup/tasks/backups/crontab.yml
@@ -1,10 +1,17 @@
+- name: Copy backups.sh file to external_backup_server_user's home directory
+  copy:
+    src: ../backups/backup.sh
+    dest: '{{ crontab_user_home }}/backup.sh'
+    owner: 'root'
+    mode: 0755
+
 - name: 'Setup crontab to backup the opencrvs data'
   cron:
     user: '{{ crontab_user }}'
     name: 'backup opencrvs'
     minute: '0'
     hour: '0'
-    job: 'cd / && bash /opt/opencrvs/infrastructure/backups/backup.sh --passphrase={{ backup_encryption_passphrase }} --ssh_user={{ external_backup_server_user }} --ssh_host={{ external_backup_server_ip }} --ssh_port={{ external_backup_server_ssh_port }} --remote_dir={{ external_backup_server_remote_directory }} --replicas=1 >> /var/log/opencrvs-backup.log 2>&1'
+    job: 'bash {{ crontab_user_home }}/backup.sh --passphrase={{ backup_encryption_passphrase }} --ssh_user={{ external_backup_server_user }} --ssh_host={{ external_backup_server_ip }} --ssh_port={{ external_backup_server_ssh_port }} --remote_dir={{ external_backup_server_remote_directory }} --replicas=1 >> /var/log/opencrvs-backup.log 2>&1'
     state: "{{ 'present' if (external_backup_server_ip is defined and backup_encryption_passphrase and (enable_backups | default(false))) else 'absent' }}"
 
 ##