diff --git a/playbooks/groups/repospanner.yml b/playbooks/groups/repospanner.yml
index 1138aed9d9..8eb95da256 100644
--- a/playbooks/groups/repospanner.yml
+++ b/playbooks/groups/repospanner.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
   - role: repospanner/server
     node: repospanner01
     region: ansible
+    spawn_repospanner_node: true
 
   pre_tasks:
   - import_tasks: "{{ tasks_path }}/yumrepos.yml"
diff --git a/roles/repospanner/server/tasks/main.yml b/roles/repospanner/server/tasks/main.yml
index 6c994a1a43..1db1dcffbf 100644
--- a/roles/repospanner/server/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/repospanner/server/tasks/main.yml
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
     creates: /var/lib/repospanner/state/state.json
   become: yes
   become_user: repoSpanner
-  when: "spawn_repospanner_node"
+  when: "spawn_repospanner_node is defined and spawn_repospanner_node is true"
   tags:
   - repospanner/server
   - config
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
     creates: /var/lib/repospanner/state/state.json
   become: yes
   become_user: repoSpanner
-  when: "not spawn_repospanner_node"
+  when: "spawn_repospanner_node is not defined or spawn_repospanner_node is false"
   tags:
   - repospanner/server
   - config