diff --git a/.github/workflows/server-basic-test.yml b/.github/workflows/server-basic-test.yml
index 6ca9a918702..dea38c2291d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/server-basic-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/server-basic-test.yml
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           docker exec pki cat /etc/pki/pki-tomcat/server.xml
 
+      - name: Check pki-tomcat tomcat.conf
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          docker exec pki cat /etc/pki/pki-tomcat/tomcat.conf
+
       - name: Check pki-tomcat server logs dir after installation
         run: |
           # check file types, owners, and permissions
@@ -299,6 +304,11 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           docker exec pki cat /var/lib/tomcats/pki/conf/server.xml
 
+      - name: Check tomcat@pki tomcat.conf
+        if: always()
+        run: |
+          docker exec pki cat /var/lib/tomcats/pki/conf/tomcat.conf
+
       - name: Check tomcat@pki server logs dir after installation
         run: |
           # check file types, owners, and permissions
diff --git a/base/server/python/pki/server/__init__.py b/base/server/python/pki/server/__init__.py
index 0feae9cb0ff..e1315617320 100644
--- a/base/server/python/pki/server/__init__.py
+++ b/base/server/python/pki/server/__init__.py
@@ -771,6 +771,7 @@ def create(self, force=False):
         self.create_web_xml(exist_ok=True)
 
         # copy /etc/tomcat/tomcat.conf
+        # to /var/lib/pki/<instance>/conf/tomcat.conf
         self.copy(
             Tomcat.TOMCAT_CONF,
             self.tomcat_conf,
@@ -784,21 +785,22 @@ def create(self, force=False):
         java_home = os.getenv('JAVA_HOME')
         tomcat_conf.set('JAVA_HOME', java_home)
 
+        # update CATALINA_BASE
+        tomcat_conf.set('CATALINA_BASE', self.base_dir)
+
         # store current PKI version
         tomcat_conf.set('PKI_VERSION', pki.specification_version())
 
         tomcat_conf.write()
 
-        service_conf = os.path.join(SYSCONFIG_DIR, 'tomcat')
+        # copy /var/lib/pki/<instance>/conf/tomcat.conf
+        # to /etc/sysconfig/<type>@<instance>
         self.copy(
-            service_conf,
+            self.tomcat_conf,
             self.service_conf,
             exist_ok=True,
             force=force)
 
-        with open(self.service_conf, 'a', encoding='utf-8') as f:
-            print('CATALINA_BASE="%s"' % self.base_dir, file=f)
-
     def create_conf_dir(self, exist_ok=False):
 
         if self._conf_dir: