diff --git a/group_vars/all.yml.sample b/group_vars/all.yml.sample
index 7bd6a6405..00ffb6ab3 100644
--- a/group_vars/all.yml.sample
+++ b/group_vars/all.yml.sample
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ dummy:
 #ceph_stable: false # use ceph stable branch
 #ceph_mirror: http://download.ceph.com
 #ceph_stable_key: https://download.ceph.com/keys/release.asc
-#ceph_stable_release: kraken # ceph stable release
+#ceph_stable_release: dummy
 #ceph_stable_repo: "{{ ceph_mirror }}/debian-{{ ceph_stable_release }}"
 
 ######################################
diff --git a/roles/ceph-common/defaults/main.yml b/roles/ceph-common/defaults/main.yml
index 4cf298840..93dac1584 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-common/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-common/defaults/main.yml
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ ceph_use_distro_backports: false # DEBIAN ONLY
 ceph_stable: false # use ceph stable branch
 ceph_mirror: http://download.ceph.com
 ceph_stable_key: https://download.ceph.com/keys/release.asc
-ceph_stable_release: kraken # ceph stable release
+ceph_stable_release: dummy
 ceph_stable_repo: "{{ ceph_mirror }}/debian-{{ ceph_stable_release }}"
 
 ######################################
diff --git a/roles/ceph-common/tasks/checks/check_mandatory_vars.yml b/roles/ceph-common/tasks/checks/check_mandatory_vars.yml
index c202d4404..b4ef088f9 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-common/tasks/checks/check_mandatory_vars.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-common/tasks/checks/check_mandatory_vars.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,24 @@
   tags:
     - package-install
 
+- name: make sure ceph_stable_release is set
+  fail:
+    msg: "make sure ceph_stable_release is set to a release name (e.g: luminous), http://docs.ceph.com/docs/master/release-notes/"
+  when:
+    - ceph_stable_release == 'dummy'
+    - not ceph_rhcs
+  tags:
+    - package-install
+
+- name: make sure ceph_stable_release is correct
+  fail:
+    msg: "wrong release name, see http://docs.ceph.com/docs/master/release-notes/"
+  when:
+    - ceph_stable_release not in ceph_release_num
+    - not ceph_rhcs
+  tags:
+    - package-install
+
 - name: verify that a method was chosen for red hat storage
   fail:
     msg: "choose between ceph_rhcs_cdn_install and ceph_rhcs_iso_install"
diff --git a/roles/ceph-common/tasks/release.yml b/roles/ceph-common/tasks/release.yml
index 3bb54e038..f3e33a32a 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-common/tasks/release.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-common/tasks/release.yml
@@ -2,11 +2,3 @@
 # Set ceph_release to ceph_stable by default
 - set_fact:
     ceph_release: "{{ ceph_stable_release }}"
-
-# Set ceph_release to latest known release (Which should match ceph_dev)
-- set_fact:
-    ceph_release: "{{ item.key }}"
-  when:
-    - ceph_dev
-    - ({{ item.value }} > ceph_release_num.{{ ceph_release }})
-  with_dict: "{{ ceph_release_num }}"