diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/redhat-common/finalise.d/01-clean-old-kernels b/diskimage_builder/elements/redhat-common/finalise.d/01-clean-old-kernels
index 23d8619e..1aa4d4c4 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/redhat-common/finalise.d/01-clean-old-kernels
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/redhat-common/finalise.d/01-clean-old-kernels
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ if [[ ${YUM} == "dnf" ]]; then
     #  http://dnf.readthedocs.org/en/latest/cli_vs_yum.html
     _old_kernels="$(dnf repoquery --installonly --latest-limit=-1 -q)"
     if [[ -n "${_old_kernels}" ]]; then
-        rpm -e ${_old_kernels}
+        dnf remove -y --setopt=protect_running_kernel=False ${_old_kernels}
     fi
 else
     install-packages yum-utils
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-dnf-clean-old-kernels-use-rpm-to-erase-in-case-running-kernel-0401f78d63daca77.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-dnf-clean-old-kernels-use-rpm-to-erase-in-case-running-kernel-0401f78d63daca77.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 970eeadf..00000000
--- a/releasenotes/notes/fix-dnf-clean-old-kernels-use-rpm-to-erase-in-case-running-kernel-0401f78d63daca77.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
----
-fixes:
-  - |
-    Fixed an issue where cleaning old kernels on systems runing ``dnf`` would
-    fail in case the kernel packages being removed matches the running kernel
-    of the system building the image. See Bug: `1623409
-    <https://bugs.launchpad.net/diskimage-builder/+bug/1623409>`_.
-