diff --git a/infrastructure-playbooks/take-over-existing-cluster.yml b/infrastructure-playbooks/take-over-existing-cluster.yml
index 1e3df7697..fe4f3a36f 100644
--- a/infrastructure-playbooks/take-over-existing-cluster.yml
+++ b/infrastructure-playbooks/take-over-existing-cluster.yml
@@ -28,20 +28,30 @@
 
     - name: get the name of the existing ceph cluster
       shell: |
-        basename $(grep -R fsid /etc/ceph/ | egrep -o '^[^.]*')
+        basename $(grep --exclude '*.bak' -R fsid /etc/ceph/ | egrep -o '^[^.]*')
       changed_when: false
-      register: ceph_conf
+      register: cluster_name
 
-    - name: stat ceph.conf
+    - name: "stat {{ cluster_name.stdout }}.conf"
       stat:
-        path: "{{ ceph_conf.stdout }}"
+        path: "/etc/ceph/{{ cluster_name.stdout }}.conf"
       register: ceph_conf_stat
 
+    # Creates a backup of original ceph conf file in 'cluster_name-YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS.conf.bak' format
+    - name: "make a backup of original {{ cluster_name.stdout }}.conf"
+      copy:
+        src: "/etc/ceph/{{ cluster_name.stdout }}.conf"
+        dest: "/etc/ceph/{{ cluster_name.stdout }}-{{ ansible_date_time.iso8601_basic_short }}.conf.bak"
+        remote_src: true
+        owner: "{{ ceph_conf_stat.stat.pw_name }}"
+        group: "{{ ceph_conf_stat.stat.gr_name }}"
+        mode: "{{ ceph_conf_stat.stat.mode }}"
+
     - name: generate ceph configuration file
       action: config_template
       args:
         src: "roles/ceph-common/templates/ceph.conf.j2"
-        dest: "{{ ceph_conf.stdout }}"
+        dest: "/etc/ceph/{{ cluster_name.stdout }}.conf"
         owner: "{{ ceph_conf_stat.stat.pw_name }}"
         group: "{{ ceph_conf_stat.stat.gr_name }}"
         mode: "{{ ceph_conf_stat.stat.mode }}"