diff --git a/test/e2e/files/cilium-install.sh b/test/e2e/files/cilium-install.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index d12b972ac..000000000
--- a/test/e2e/files/cilium-install.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-timeout=30s
-max_retries=5
-count=0
-
-ready=$(cilium status -o json --wait --wait-duration $timeout | jq .pod_state.cilium.Ready)
-if [ $ready -eq 1 ]; then
-    echo "Cilium already installed and ready."
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-while [ $count -lt $max_retries ];
-do
-    cilium install
-    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-	cilium uninstall
-	sleep 5
-	count=$(($count + 1))
-	continue
-    fi
-
-    ready=$(cilium status -o json --wait --wait-duration $timeout | jq .pod_state.cilium.Ready)
-    if [ $ready -eq 1 ]; then
-	break
-    fi
-
-    echo "Cilium ready timeout, retrying"
-    count=$(($count + 1))
-
-    cilium uninstall
-done
-
-if [ $ready -ne 1 ]; then
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-exit 0
diff --git a/test/e2e/playbook/provision.yaml b/test/e2e/playbook/provision.yaml
index 9132f3cbf..4889b63c2 100644
--- a/test/e2e/playbook/provision.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/playbook/provision.yaml
@@ -312,21 +312,17 @@
         - kubectl taint nodes --all node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane- || true
         - kubectl taint nodes --all node-role.kubernetes.io/master- || true
 
-    - name: copy cilium install script
-      copy:
-        src: "{{ nri_resource_policy_src }}/test/e2e/files/cilium-install.sh"
-        dest: /usr/local/bin/cilium-install.sh
-        owner: root
-        group: root
-        mode: '0755'
+    - block:
+      - name: Fetch and extract cilium (installer) release tarball
+        ansible.builtin.unarchive:
+          src: "https://github.com/cilium/cilium-cli/releases/latest/download/cilium-linux-amd64.tar.gz"
+          dest: /usr/local/bin
+          remote_src: yes
 
-    - name: Install cilium cni
-      command: "{{ item }}"
-      with_items:
-        - curl -L --remote-name-all https://github.com/cilium/cilium-cli/releases/latest/download/cilium-linux-amd64.tar.gz
-        - tar xzvfC cilium-linux-amd64.tar.gz /usr/local/bin
-        - cilium-install.sh
-        - rm -f cilium-linux-amd64.tar.gz
+      - name: Run cilium installer
+        ansible.builtin.shell:
+          cmd: cilium install --wait
+      when: cni_plugin == "cilium"
 
     - block:
       - name: Copy CNI bridge plugin configuration