diff --git a/tasks/keystone_key_distribute.yml b/tasks/keystone_key_distribute.yml
index b41659ad..760e6287 100644
--- a/tasks/keystone_key_distribute.yml
+++ b/tasks/keystone_key_distribute.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 - name: Create authorized keys file from host vars
   authorized_key:
     user: "{{ keystone_system_user_name }}"
-    key: "{{ hostvars[item]['keystone_pubkey'] }}"
+    key: "{{ hostvars[item]['keystone_pubkey'] | b64decode }}"
   with_items: groups['keystone_all']
   tags:
     - keystone-key
diff --git a/tasks/keystone_key_populate.yml b/tasks/keystone_key_populate.yml
index 92b58f93..b61ad53f 100644
--- a/tasks/keystone_key_populate.yml
+++ b/tasks/keystone_key_populate.yml
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 - name: Get public key contents and store as var
-  command: |
-    cat {{ keystone_system_user_home }}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
+  slurp:
+    src: "{{ keystone_system_user_home }}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub"
   register: keystone_pub
   changed_when: false
   tags:
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 - name: Register a fact for the keystone pub key
   set_fact:
-     keystone_pubkey: "{{ keystone_pub.stdout }}"
+     keystone_pubkey: "{{ keystone_pub.content }}"
   tags:
     - keystone-key
     - keystone-key-create