diff --git a/playbooks/set_root_auth_keys.yml b/playbooks/set_root_auth_keys.yml
index 555d150639..d3ab519f90 100644
--- a/playbooks/set_root_auth_keys.yml
+++ b/playbooks/set_root_auth_keys.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@
    - 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}"