diff --git a/roles/beaker/virthost/tasks/main.yml b/roles/beaker/virthost/tasks/main.yml
index d8289f7afe..c1807c963e 100644
--- a/roles/beaker/virthost/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/beaker/virthost/tasks/main.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@
     mode: 0644
 
 - name: generate libvirt xml files for clients
-  template: src=client-libvirt.xml.j2 dest=/root/{{ item }}.libvirt.xml
+  template:
+    src: client-libvirt.xml.j2
+    dest: /root/{{ item }}.libvirt.xml
+    vmhostname: {{ clients[item]['hostname'] }}
+    vmmacaddress: {{ clients[item]['macaddress'] }}
   with_items:
     - "virt02"
     - "virt03"
diff --git a/roles/beaker/virthost/templates/client-libvirt.xml.j2 b/roles/beaker/virthost/templates/client-libvirt.xml.j2
index 0cd90c4ac4..0f5677af37 100644
--- a/roles/beaker/virthost/templates/client-libvirt.xml.j2
+++ b/roles/beaker/virthost/templates/client-libvirt.xml.j2
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <domain type='kvm'>
-  <name>{{ clients[vmname]['hostname'] }}</name>
+  <name>{{ vmhostname }}</name>
   <memory unit='KiB'>{{ mem_size_kb }}</memory>
   <vcpu placement='static'>{{ num_cpus }}</vcpu>
   <os>
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
       <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x06' function='0x0'/>
     </controller>
     <interface type='bridge'>
-      <mac address='{{ clients[vmname]['macaddress'] }}'/>
+      <mac address='{{ vmmacaddress }}'/>
       <source bridge='{{ bridge_name }}'/>
       <model type='virtio'/>
       <boot order='1'/>