diff --git a/playbooks/groups/lockbox.yml b/playbooks/groups/lockbox.yml
index 9ee2ee34e9..758a5a1473 100644
--- a/playbooks/groups/lockbox.yml
+++ b/playbooks/groups/lockbox.yml
@@ -61,11 +61,11 @@
 
   - name: create directories for local git repos
     file: path=/srv/git/{{ item.path }} state=directory owner=root group=root mode=1775
-    with_items: "{{ gitrepos }}"
+    with_items: gitrepos
 
   - name: initialize git repos
     command: chdir=/srv/git/{{ item.path }} creates={{ item.path }}/HEAD git init --bare
-    with_items: "{{ gitrepos }}"
+    with_items: gitrepos
 
   - name: create ansible base working directory
     file: path=/srv/ansible state=directory owner=root group=root mode=1775