diff --git a/roles/base/tasks/main.yml b/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
index d2186945f4..1a9e5b368b 100644
--- a/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
   user: name=root password={{ rootpw }} state=present
   tags:
   - rootpw
-  when: not (inventory_hostname.startswith('build') or inventory_hostname.startswith('releng') or inventory_hostname.startswith('arm') or inventory_hostname.startswith('compose'))
+  when: not (inventory_hostname.startswith('build') or inventory_hostname.startswith('releng') or inventory_hostname.startswith('arm') or inventory_hostname.startswith('compose') or inventory_hostname.startswith('bkernel'))
 
 - name: add ansible root key 
   authorized_key: user=root key="{{ item }}"