diff --git a/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml b/tasks/cloud_setup_basic.yml
index 3f5c4900d9..5f73e128a4 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