diff --git a/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml b/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml
index 98e0f2f79e..52ee88a2ac 100644
--- a/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml
+++ b/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 - 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
   ignore_errors: true