diff --git a/osa_toolkit/filesystem.py b/osa_toolkit/filesystem.py
index b8caa73bd4..c55005a331 100644
--- a/osa_toolkit/filesystem.py
+++ b/osa_toolkit/filesystem.py
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ import datetime
 import json
 import logging
 import os
-from osa_toolkit import dictutils as du
+import subprocess
 import tarfile
 import yaml
 
+from osa_toolkit import dictutils as du
+
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('osa-inventory')
 
@@ -154,6 +156,19 @@ def _make_backup(backup_path, source_file_path):
         'backup_openstack_inventory.tar'
     )
     with tarfile.open(inventory_backup_file, 'a') as tar:
+        # tar.getmembers() is always ordered with the
+        # tar standard append file order
+        members = [i.name for i in tar.getmembers()]
+        if len(members) > 15:
+            with open(os.devnull, 'w') as null:
+                for member in members[:-15]:
+                    subprocess.call(
+                        ['tar', '-vf', inventory_backup_file,
+                         '--delete', member],
+                        stdout=null,
+                        stderr=subprocess.STDOUT
+                    )
+
         basename = os.path.basename(source_file_path)
         backup_name = _get_backup_name(basename)
         tar.add(source_file_path, arcname=backup_name)
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/limit-inventory-backkups.yaml-c96577e9de284cf2.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/limit-inventory-backkups.yaml-c96577e9de284cf2.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1523c1060c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/limit-inventory-backkups.yaml-c96577e9de284cf2.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+
+issues:
+ - We are limiting the tarred inventory backups to 15 in addition to changes
+   that only apply backups when the config has changed. These changes are to
+   address an issue where the inventory was corruped with parallel runs on
+   large clusters.