diff --git a/scripts/get-ansible-collection-requirements.yml b/scripts/get-ansible-collection-requirements.yml
index e71108fa73..aca7c1a8aa 100644
--- a/scripts/get-ansible-collection-requirements.yml
+++ b/scripts/get-ansible-collection-requirements.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 
     - name: Append user collections to filtered required collections
       set_fact:
-        galaxy_collections_list: "{{ galaxy_collections_list + [ item ] }}"
+        galaxy_collections_list: "{{ (galaxy_collections_list | default([])) + [ item ] }}"
       with_items: "{{ user_collections.collections }}"
       when:
         - user_collections.collections is defined
diff --git a/scripts/get-ansible-role-requirements.yml b/scripts/get-ansible-role-requirements.yml
index d988084e85..e7aa099fe9 100644
--- a/scripts/get-ansible-role-requirements.yml
+++ b/scripts/get-ansible-role-requirements.yml
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@
 
     - name: Append user overridden roles
       set_fact:
-        clone_roles: "{{ clone_roles + user_roles }}"
+        clone_roles: "{{ (clone_roles | default([])) + user_roles }}"
 
     - name: Clone git repos
       block: