diff --git a/tools/gate/playbooks/build-helm-packages/tasks/setup-helm-serve.yaml b/tools/gate/playbooks/build-helm-packages/tasks/setup-helm-serve.yaml
index 899524ded..a22a85159 100644
--- a/tools/gate/playbooks/build-helm-packages/tasks/setup-helm-serve.yaml
+++ b/tools/gate/playbooks/build-helm-packages/tasks/setup-helm-serve.yaml
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@
 
 - block:
     - name: check if correct version of helm client already installed
-      shell: "[ \"x$($(type -p helm) version --client --short | awk '{ print $NF }' | awk -F '+' '{ print $1 }')\" == \"x${HELM_VERSION}\" ] || exit 1"
+      shell: "set -e; [ \"x$($(type -p helm) version --client --short | awk '{ print $NF }' | awk -F '+' '{ print $1 }')\" == \"x${HELM_VERSION}\" ] || exit 1"
       environment:
         HELM_VERSION: "{{ version.helm }}"
+      args:
+        executable: /bin/bash
       register: need_helm
       ignore_errors: True
     - name: install helm client
@@ -22,22 +24,32 @@
       become_user: root
       shell: |
               TMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
-              curl -sSL https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-helm/helm-{{ version.helm }}-linux-amd64.tar.gz | tar -zxv --strip-components=1 -C ${TMP_DIR}
+              curl -sSL https://storage.googleapis.com/kubernetes-helm/helm-${HELM_VERSION}-linux-amd64.tar.gz | tar -zxv --strip-components=1 -C ${TMP_DIR}
               sudo mv ${TMP_DIR}/helm /usr/bin/helm
               rm -rf ${TMP_DIR}
+      environment:
+        HELM_VERSION: "{{ version.helm }}"
+      args:
+        executable: /bin/bash
     - name: setting up helm client
       command: helm init --client-only
 
 - block:
     - name: checking if local helm server is running
       shell: curl -s 127.0.0.1:8879 | grep -q 'Helm Repository'
+      args:
+        executable: /bin/bash
       register: helm_server_running
       ignore_errors: True
     - name: launching local helm server via shell
       when: helm_server_running | failed
       shell: helm serve &
+      args:
+        executable: /bin/bash
     - name: wait for helm server to be ready
       shell: curl -s 127.0.0.1:8879 | grep -q 'Helm Repository'
+      args:
+        executable: /bin/bash
       register: wait_for_helm_server
       until: wait_for_helm_server.rc == 0
       retries: 120
@@ -46,6 +58,8 @@
 - block:
     - name: checking if helm 'stable' repo is present
       shell: helm repo list | grep -q "^stable"
+      args:
+        executable: /bin/bash
       register: helm_stable_repo_present
       ignore_errors: True
     - name: checking if helm 'stable' repo is present