diff --git a/roles/base/tasks/main.yml b/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
index 6f6e8844bb..08351a2ea6 100644
--- a/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
   user: name=root password={{ rootpw }} state=present
   tags:
   - rootpw
-  when: not inventory_hostname.startswith('build') or not inventory_hostname.startswith('releng')
+  when: not (inventory_hostname.startswith('build') or inventory_hostname.startswith('releng'))
 
 - name: add ansible root key 
   authorized_key: user=root key="{{ item }}"