diff --git a/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml b/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml
index e7543cf319..3f5c4900d9 100644
--- a/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml
+++ b/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 - name: add root keys for sysadmin-main and other allowed users
   action: authorized_key user=root key="{{ item }}"
   with_pipe:
-  - {{ auth_keys_from_fas }} @sysadmin-main {{ root_auth_users }}
+  - "{{ auth_keys_from_fas }} @sysadmin-main {{ root_auth_users }}"
   tags:
   - config