diff --git a/playbooks/manual/staging-sync/koschei.yml b/playbooks/manual/staging-sync/koschei.yml
index e21401ebb2..475cd323ce 100644
--- a/playbooks/manual/staging-sync/koschei.yml
+++ b/playbooks/manual/staging-sync/koschei.yml
@@ -18,13 +18,13 @@
 
   tasks:
   - service: name={{ item }} state=stopped
-    when: "backend" in ansible_hostname
+    when: '"backend" in ansible_hostname'
     with_items:
     - koschei-resolver
     - koschei-scheduler
     - koschei-watcher
   - service: name=httpd state=stopped
-    when: "web" in ansible_hostname
+    when: '"web" in ansible_hostname'
 
 
 - name: drop and re-create koschei staging database
@@ -82,10 +82,10 @@
 
   tasks:
   - service: name={{ item }} state=stopped
-    when: "backend" in ansible_hostname
+    when: '"backend" in ansible_hostname'
     with_items:
     - koschei-resolver
     - koschei-scheduler
     - koschei-watcher
   - service: name=httpd state=stopped
-    when: "web" in ansible_hostname
+    when: '"web" in ansible_hostname'