diff --git a/ansible/inventory/offline/99-static b/ansible/inventory/offline/99-static
index f6e469574..0c8d3efcc 100644
--- a/ansible/inventory/offline/99-static
+++ b/ansible/inventory/offline/99-static
@@ -83,19 +83,7 @@
 
 [postgresql:vars]
 postgresql_network_interface = enp1s0
-repmgr_node_config:
-  postgresql1:  # Maps to postgresql_rw group
-    node_id: 1
-    priority: 150
-    role: primary
-  postgresql2:  # Maps to first postgresql_ro
-    node_id: 2
-    priority: 100
-    role: standby
-  postgresql3:  # Maps to second postgresql_ro
-    node_id: 3
-    priority: 50
-    role: standby
+# repmgr_node_config is defined in group_vars/postgresql/postgresql.yml
 
 [elasticsearch:vars]
 # elasticsearch_network_interface = enp1s0
@@ -110,8 +98,10 @@ repmgr_node_config:
 
 # Rabbitmq specific variables
 [rmq-cluster:vars]
-# host name here must match each node's actual hostname
-rabbitmq_cluster_master: rabbitmq1
+# host name here must match each node's actual hostname (short hostname, not FQDN)
+# e.g. if the node's FQDN is rabbitmq1.example.com, use: rabbitmq_cluster_master = rabbitmq1
+# Using FQDN here will cause rabbitmqctl join_cluster to fail with a :badarg error
+rabbitmq_cluster_master = rabbitmq1
 # rabbitmq_network_interface = enp1s0
 
 # For the following groups, add all nodes defined above to the sections below.
diff --git a/ansible/inventory/offline/group_vars/postgresql/postgresql.yml b/ansible/inventory/offline/group_vars/postgresql/postgresql.yml
index 351b99539..dd6d6bde4 100644
--- a/ansible/inventory/offline/group_vars/postgresql/postgresql.yml
+++ b/ansible/inventory/offline/group_vars/postgresql/postgresql.yml
@@ -24,8 +24,22 @@ repmgr_namespace: "{{ wire_namespace | default('default') }}"
 wire_pg_secret_name: "wire-postgresql-external-secret"
 
 # Node configuration for repmgr
-# NOTE: repmgr_node_config is defined in the inventory file ansible/inventory/offline/99-static, ansible/inventory/offline/staging.yml and terraform/examples/wire-server-deploy-offline-hetzner/outputs.tf
-# to allow environment-specific node mappings. Do not define here.
+# NOTE: staging inventory and terraform-generated envs override this in their own vars:
+#   - ansible/inventory/offline/staging.yml
+#   - terraform/examples/wire-server-deploy-offline-hetzner/outputs.tf
+repmgr_node_config:
+  postgresql1:  # Maps to postgresql_rw group
+    node_id: 1
+    priority: 150
+    role: primary
+  postgresql2:  # Maps to first postgresql_ro
+    node_id: 2
+    priority: 100
+    role: standby
+  postgresql3:  # Maps to second postgresql_ro
+    node_id: 3
+    priority: 50
+    role: standby
 
 # repmgr settings
 # repmgrd monitoring and reconnection configuration
diff --git a/changelog.d/5-bug-fixes/fix-rabbitmq-repmgr-inventory-syntax b/changelog.d/5-bug-fixes/fix-rabbitmq-repmgr-inventory-syntax
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ccfe20e55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/5-bug-fixes/fix-rabbitmq-repmgr-inventory-syntax
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed: rabbitmq_cluster_master and repmgr_node_config syntax errors in offline inventory 99-static