diff --git a/roles/install-docker/README.rst b/roles/install-docker/README.rst
index 384af9f36..a1151ccee 100644
--- a/roles/install-docker/README.rst
+++ b/roles/install-docker/README.rst
@@ -68,6 +68,14 @@ An ansible role to install docker and configure it to use mirrors if available.
    installed prior to installing docker-ce. If the package set needs to
    be changed this option can be overridden as needed.
 
+.. zuul:rolevar:: docker_upstream_distro_remove_packages
+   :default: list
+
+   List of packages to be removed before installing new ones. It is used
+   for avoiding potential conflicts. For example it can remove `docker`
+   package before trying to install `docker-ce`. The default value is
+   distro specific.
+
 .. zuul:rolevar:: docker_upstream_distro_packages
    :default: list
 
diff --git a/roles/install-docker/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/install-docker/defaults/main.yaml
index ed387d08e..be126ada7 100644
--- a/roles/install-docker/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/install-docker/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ docker_distro_packages: "{{ _docker_distro_packages | default([]) }}"
 docker_compose_install: false
 docker_upstream_distro_packages: "{{ _docker_upstream_distro_packages | default([]) }}"
 docker_upstream_distro_required_packages: "{{ _docker_upstream_distro_required_packages | default([]) }}"
+docker_upstream_distro_remove_packages: "{{ _docker_upstream_distro_remove_packages | default([]) }}"
 docker_update_channel: stable
 docker_download_fqdn: download.docker.com
 docker_mirror_base_url: "{{ _docker_mirror_base_url | default('') }}"
diff --git a/roles/install-docker/tasks/upstream-package-installation.yaml b/roles/install-docker/tasks/upstream-package-installation.yaml
index 0f22d1e10..be645e2ac 100644
--- a/roles/install-docker/tasks/upstream-package-installation.yaml
+++ b/roles/install-docker/tasks/upstream-package-installation.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 ---
+- name: Remove packages
+  package:
+    name: "{{ docker_upstream_distro_remove_packages }}"
+    state: absent
+  when: docker_upstream_distro_remove_packages
+
 # package/dnf module do not support `--nobest` option which is needed for
 # installing docker-ce on centos-8
 - name: Install upstream docker using package
diff --git a/roles/install-docker/vars/debian.yaml b/roles/install-docker/vars/debian.yaml
index 8ee1078bd..925774013 100644
--- a/roles/install-docker/vars/debian.yaml
+++ b/roles/install-docker/vars/debian.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ _docker_upstream_distro_packages:
   - docker-ce-cli
   - containerd.io
 
+_docker_upstream_distro_remove_packages:
+  - docker.io
+
 docker_distro_vars_loaded: true
 
 _docker_mirror_base_url: "https://{{ docker_download_fqdn }}/linux/debian"
diff --git a/roles/install-docker/vars/fedora.yaml b/roles/install-docker/vars/fedora.yaml
index efdd1644c..a6c9a9fd7 100644
--- a/roles/install-docker/vars/fedora.yaml
+++ b/roles/install-docker/vars/fedora.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ _docker_upstream_distro_packages:
   - docker-ce-cli
   - containerd.io
 
+_docker_upstream_distro_remove_packages:
+  - docker
+
 docker_repo_template: docker-ce-fedora.repo.j2
 
 docker_distro_vars_loaded: true