diff --git a/playbooks/groups/proxies.yml b/playbooks/groups/proxies.yml
index b7ef2bcdcc..0dad360f1c 100644
--- a/playbooks/groups/proxies.yml
+++ b/playbooks/groups/proxies.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 - name: make the box be real
   hosts: proxies-stg:proxies
+  strategy: free
   user: root
   gather_facts: True
 
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@
 
 - name: Set up the proxy basics
   hosts: proxies-stg:proxies
+  strategy: free
   user: root
   gather_facts: False
 
@@ -173,6 +175,7 @@
 
 - name: Make sure we are deployed fully
   hosts: proxies-stg:proxies
+  strategy: free
   user: root
   gather_facts: False