diff --git a/playbooks/manual/upgrade/bodhi.yml b/playbooks/manual/upgrade/bodhi.yml
index cda813e23a..90704bf79e 100644
--- a/playbooks/manual/upgrade/bodhi.yml
+++ b/playbooks/manual/upgrade/bodhi.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     fail:
       msg: "There are composes in progress."
     any_errors_fatal: true
-    when: lockfile.stdout != "{\"composes\": []}"
+    when: lockfile.stdout != '{"composes": []}'
 
 - name: push packages out
   hosts: bodhi-backend:bodhi-backend-stg:bodhi2:bodhi2-stg