diff --git a/tests/base_update_cli.pm b/tests/base_update_cli.pm
index 2b433d50..bc6bbfd6 100644
--- a/tests/base_update_cli.pm
+++ b/tests/base_update_cli.pm
@@ -11,15 +11,20 @@ sub run {
     prepare_test_packages;
     # check rpm agrees they installed good
     verify_installed_packages;
+    # we should disable the test repos now. also, on regular Fedora,
+    # disable updates-testing; on ELN it doesn't exist and trying to
+    # disable it causes an error
+    my $disable = '--disablerepo=openqa-testrepo*';
+    $disable .= ' --disablerepo=updates-testing' unless (get_var("VERSION") eq "ELN");
     # update the fake acpica-tools (should come from the real repo)
     # this can take a long time if we get unlucky with the metadata refresh
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y --disablerepo=openqa-testrepo* --disablerepo=updates-testing update acpica-tools', 600;
+    assert_script_run "dnf -y $disable update acpica-tools", 600;
     # check we got the updated version
     verify_updated_packages;
     # now remove acpica-tools, and see if we can do a straight
     # install from the default repos
     assert_script_run 'dnf -y remove acpica-tools';
-    assert_script_run 'dnf -y --disablerepo=openqa-testrepo* --disablerepo=updates-testing install acpica-tools', 120;
+    assert_script_run "dnf -y $disable install acpica-tools", 120;
     assert_script_run 'rpm -V acpica-tools';
 }