diff --git a/playbooks/vhost_reboot.yml b/playbooks/vhost_reboot.yml
index 53e2b7b857..afed0540ac 100644
--- a/playbooks/vhost_reboot.yml
+++ b/playbooks/vhost_reboot.yml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
   - name: add them to myvms_new group
     local_action: add_host hostname={{ item }} groupname=myvms_new
-    with_items: vmlist.list_vms
+    with_items: "{{ vmlist.list_vms }}"
 
 # Call out to another playbook.  Disable any proxies that may live here
 - include: update-proxy-dns.yml status=disable proxies=myvms_new:&proxies