diff --git a/roles/slurm-start/tasks/main.yml b/roles/slurm-start/tasks/main.yml
index 3fd6c432e67409cdd2f389553c4c75a324192224..a81a25a7a0c8ebaf6596ec3a8b9c084259225d54 100644
--- a/roles/slurm-start/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/slurm-start/tasks/main.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 - name: set slurmd_enabled (default enabled)
   set_fact:
     slurmd_enabled: True
-  when: slurmd_enabled is not defined and start_slurmd
+  when: slurmd_enabled is not defined and start_slurmd is defined and start_slurmd
 
 - name: install slurmdbd initt
   template: src=slurmdbd.initd.j2 dest=/etc/init.d/slurmdbd mode=755