diff --git a/tasks/setup_redhat.yml b/tasks/setup_redhat.yml
index 134dd7c..2df92c9 100644
--- a/tasks/setup_redhat.yml
+++ b/tasks/setup_redhat.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,17 @@
     state: present
   when: mariadb_use_official_repo
 
+# the following is needed since MDBF packages server installation doesn't
+# create the run dir directory which should probably be fixed upstream.
+- name: Make sure run dir exist
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: /run/mariadb
+    state: directory
+    owner: "{{ mariadb_user }}"
+    group: "{{ mariadb_user }}"
+    mode: 0755
+  when: mariadb_use_official_repo
+
 - name: Check if mariadb command exists
   ansible.builtin.stat:
     path: /usr/bin/mariadb
diff --git a/vars/RedHat.yml b/vars/RedHat.yml
index 683a2e8..897c1b4 100644
--- a/vars/RedHat.yml
+++ b/vars/RedHat.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ mariadb_server_package: mariadb-server
 mariadb_server_package_mdbf: MariaDB-server
 mariadb_config_file: "/etc/my.cnf.d/mariadb-server.cnf"
 mariadb_data_dir: "/var/lib/mysql"
-mariadb_pid_file: "/run/mysqld.pid"
+mariadb_pid_file: "/run/mariadb/mysqld.pid"
 mariadb_unix_socket: "/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock"
 mariadb_log_dir: "/var/log/mariadb"
 mariadb_log_error_file: "{{ mariadb_log_dir }}/error.log"