diff --git a/roles/ceph-nfs/tasks/start_nfs.yml b/roles/ceph-nfs/tasks/start_nfs.yml
index fb416bbad..d3e4ac1f8 100644
--- a/roles/ceph-nfs/tasks/start_nfs.yml
+++ b/roles/ceph-nfs/tasks/start_nfs.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 ---
 - block:
-  - name: set_fact container_exec_cmd_nfs
+  - name: set_fact container_exec_cmd_nfs - external
     set_fact:
-      exec_cmd_nfs: "{{ container_binary + ' run --rm --net=host -v /etc/ceph:/etc/ceph:z -v /var/lib/ceph/:/var/lib/ceph/:z -v /var/log/ceph/:/var/log/ceph/:z --entrypoint=rados ' + ceph_docker_registry + '/' + ceph_docker_image + ':' + ceph_docker_image_tag if containerized_deployment else 'rados' }} -n client.{{ ceph_nfs_ceph_user if groups.get(mon_group_name, []) | length == 0 else 'rgw.' + ansible_hostname }} -k /var/lib/ceph/radosgw/{{ cluster + '-rgw.' +  ceph_nfs_ceph_user if groups.get(mon_group_name, []) | length == 0 else ansible_hostname }}/keyring"
+      exec_cmd_nfs: "{{ container_binary + ' run --rm --net=host -v /etc/ceph:/etc/ceph:z -v /var/lib/ceph/:/var/lib/ceph/:z -v /var/log/ceph/:/var/log/ceph/:z --entrypoint=rados ' + ceph_docker_registry + '/' + ceph_docker_image + ':' + ceph_docker_image_tag if containerized_deployment | bool else 'rados' }} -n client.{{ ceph_nfs_ceph_user }} -k /var/lib/ceph/radosgw/{{ cluster }}-rgw.{{ ceph_nfs_ceph_user }}/keyring"
+      delegate_node: "{{ inventory_hostname }}"
+    when: groups.get(mon_group_name, []) | length == 0
+
+  - name: set_fact container_exec_cmd_nfs - internal
+    set_fact:
+      exec_cmd_nfs: "{{ container_binary + ' exec ceph-mon-' + hostvars[groups[mon_group_name][0]]['ansible_hostname'] if containerized_deployment | bool else '' }} rados"
+      delegate_node: "{{ groups[mon_group_name][0] }}"
+    when: groups.get(mon_group_name, []) | length > 0
 
   - name: check if rados index object exists
     shell: "{{ exec_cmd_nfs | default('') }} -p {{ cephfs_data_pool.name }} --cluster {{ cluster }} ls|grep {{ ceph_nfs_rados_export_index }}"
@@ -11,6 +19,7 @@
     register: rados_index_exists
     check_mode: no
     when: ceph_nfs_rados_backend | bool
+    delegate_to: "{{ delegate_node }}"
     run_once: true
 
   - name: create an empty rados index object
@@ -18,6 +27,7 @@
     when:
       - ceph_nfs_rados_backend | bool
       - rados_index_exists.rc != 0
+    delegate_to: "{{ delegate_node }}"
     run_once: true
 
 - name: create /etc/ganesha