diff --git a/playbooks/manual/upgrade/bodhi.yml b/playbooks/manual/upgrade/bodhi.yml
index 90704bf79e..43571030f3 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