diff --git a/ci/playbooks/content_provider/pre.yml b/ci/playbooks/content_provider/pre.yml
index 1fab7fb1d..35aa5f712 100644
--- a/ci/playbooks/content_provider/pre.yml
+++ b/ci/playbooks/content_provider/pre.yml
@@ -13,9 +13,6 @@
       ansible.builtin.include_role:
         name: prepare-workspace
 
-    - name: Pin OpenSSL for job TLS downloads
-      ansible.builtin.include_tasks: ../tasks/pin_openssl.yml
-
     - name: Install ansible-core
       become: true
       ansible.builtin.package:
diff --git a/ci/playbooks/e2e-prepare.yml b/ci/playbooks/e2e-prepare.yml
index a4e06f89f..fdc8588ad 100644
--- a/ci/playbooks/e2e-prepare.yml
+++ b/ci/playbooks/e2e-prepare.yml
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@
       ansible.builtin.include_role:
         name: prepare-workspace
 
-    - name: Pin OpenSSL for job TLS downloads
-      ansible.builtin.include_tasks: tasks/pin_openssl.yml
-
     - name: Create zuul-output directory
       ansible.builtin.file:
         path: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/zuul-output/logs"
diff --git a/ci/playbooks/pre-doc.yml b/ci/playbooks/pre-doc.yml
index 8242440c9..4bd9ac6a6 100644
--- a/ci/playbooks/pre-doc.yml
+++ b/ci/playbooks/pre-doc.yml
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@
       ansible.builtin.include_role:
         name: prepare-workspace
 
-    - name: Pin OpenSSL for job TLS downloads
-      ansible.builtin.include_tasks: tasks/pin_openssl.yml
-
     - name: Output pip related things
       ansible.builtin.command:
         cmd: pip --version
diff --git a/ci/playbooks/tasks/pin_openssl.yml b/ci/playbooks/tasks/pin_openssl.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 6285c85ed..000000000
--- a/ci/playbooks/tasks/pin_openssl.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-- name: Pin OpenSSL to 3.5.5
-  become: true
-  register: _cifmw_pin_openssl
-  changed_when: >-
-    _cifmw_pin_openssl.rc == 0 and
-    "Nothing to do." not in (_cifmw_pin_openssl.stdout | default(""))
-  failed_when: false
-  ansible.builtin.command:
-    argv:
-      - dnf
-      - downgrade
-      - --allowerasing
-      - -y
-      - openssl-3.5.5
-      - openssl-libs-3.5.5
diff --git a/scripts/setup_molecule b/scripts/setup_molecule
index c798adb18..36cee7fa9 100755
--- a/scripts/setup_molecule
+++ b/scripts/setup_molecule
@@ -25,12 +25,6 @@ export PROJECT_DIR="$(dirname $(dirname $(readlink -f ${BASH_SOURCE[0]})))"
 #                  system ansible may be installed.
 export ANSIBLE_SKIP_CONFLICT_CHECK=1
 
-# Workaround: OpenSSL >= 3.5.6 introduced strict DER validation that rejects
-# some real-world CA root certs (openssl/openssl#25023), breaking Ansible's
-# url lookup plugin. Pin to 3.5.5 until the issue is resolved upstream.
-# Remove this block once openssl/openssl#25023 is fixed.
-sudo dnf downgrade --allowerasing -y openssl-3.5.5 openssl-libs-3.5.5 2>/dev/null || true
-
 PIP_INSTALL_ARGUMENTS="-U -r ${PROJECT_DIR}/test-requirements.txt"
 case ${USE_VENV-'yes'} in
     y|yes|true)