diff --git a/vars/global.yml b/vars/global.yml
index b12dea9e17..baa02ee125 100644
--- a/vars/global.yml
+++ b/vars/global.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ ec2_userdata: ['#cloud-config
 disable_root: 0']
 # Set a default hostname base to transient. Override in host vars or command line.
 hostbase: transient
+# root_auth_users for cloud instances is '' by default
+root_auth_users: ''
 global_pkgs_inst: ['bind-utils', 'joe', 'mailx', 'nc', 'openssh-clients', 
                    'patch', 'postfix', 'rsync', 'strace', 'telnet', 
                    'tmpwatch', 'traceroute', 'vim-enhanced', 'xz', 'zsh',