diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 08c5e30843eefe82f1f3ca4cc18c4d33f025f62f..875434317c6e28a462a3eba3a4e339f124501a34 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -445,8 +445,8 @@ cleanup_knightly:
   script:
     - >
       SERVER_TO_BE_DELETE=($(openstack server list --name $OOD_INSTANCE_NAME --sort-column Image --sort-descending -f value -c ID
-      | awk -v NSTK=$NUM_SERVER_TO_KEEP '{count++}
-      {if (count>NSTK) print}'))
+      | awk -v NSTK=$NUM_SERVER_TO_KEEP -v OID=$OLD_INSTANCE_ID '$0 != OID {count++} \
+      $0 != OID && count>NSTK {print}'))
     - |
       for svr in ${SERVER_TO_BE_DELETE[@]}; do
         echo "Deleting server $svr"