diff --git a/elements/rhel/finalise.d/60-rhsm-unregister b/elements/rhel/finalise.d/60-rhsm-unregister
index 134e32124..3d3b2ec1e 100755
--- a/elements/rhel/finalise.d/60-rhsm-unregister
+++ b/elements/rhel/finalise.d/60-rhsm-unregister
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 set -eu
 set -o pipefail
 
+export DIB_RHSM_USER=${DIB_RHSM_USER:-}
+
 if [ -n "$DIB_RHSM_USER" ] && [ -n "$DIB_RHSM_PASSWORD" ]; then
     if [[ "$DIB_REG_TYPE" == "rhn" ]]; then
         rm -rf /etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid
diff --git a/elements/rhel/pre-install.d/00-rhsm b/elements/rhel/pre-install.d/00-rhsm
index 75c18cec3..70410c057 100755
--- a/elements/rhel/pre-install.d/00-rhsm
+++ b/elements/rhel/pre-install.d/00-rhsm
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 set -eu
 set -o pipefail
 
+export DIB_RHSM_USER=${DIB_RHSM_USER:-}
+
 if [ -n "$DIB_RHSM_USER" ] && [ -n "$DIB_RHSM_PASSWORD" ]
 then
     opts="--force"