diff --git a/roles/fetch-subunit-output/tasks/find-subunit-html.yaml b/roles/fetch-subunit-output/tasks/find-subunit-html.yaml
index e2de203b3..f6922d3b7 100644
--- a/roles/fetch-subunit-output/tasks/find-subunit-html.yaml
+++ b/roles/fetch-subunit-output/tasks/find-subunit-html.yaml
@@ -6,9 +6,12 @@
 - name: Define subunit_html_command fact
   when:
     - find_subunit2html_output.rc == 0
-    - find_subunit2html_output.stdout_lines
+    - find_subunit2html_output.stdout
   set_fact:
-    subunit_html_command: "{{ find_subunit2html_output.stdout_lines[0] }}"
+    # We use the trim filter here on all stdout because for some reason
+    # we occasionally get the command listed with a blank line prefix.
+    # This should clean that up.
+    subunit_html_command: "{{ find_subunit2html_output.stdout | trim }}"
 
 - name: Emit a debug line so we can search logstash for fallback hits
   debug:
diff --git a/roles/fetch-subunit-output/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/fetch-subunit-output/tasks/main.yaml
index df8a4255b..840581601 100644
--- a/roles/fetch-subunit-output/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/fetch-subunit-output/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@
 
 - when:
     - testr_command.rc == 0
-    - testr_command.stdout_lines
+    - testr_command.stdout
   # Here we run steps that only apply when there is a valid subunity stream.
-  # This is indicated through testr_command.stdout_lines content.
+  # This is indicated through testr_command.stdout content.
   block:
     # The usage an independent target file instead of sending the output
     # to zuul_work_dir prevents issues related to zuul_work_dir being
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@
 
     - name: Generate subunit file
       shell:
-        cmd: "{{ testr_command.stdout_lines[0] }} last --subunit >>{{ temp_subunit_file.path }}"
+        # We use the trim filter here on all stdout because for some reason
+        # we occasionally get the command listed with a blank line prefix.
+        # This should clean that up.
+        cmd: "{{ testr_command.stdout | trim }} last --subunit >>{{ temp_subunit_file.path }}"
         chdir: "{{ zj_item }}"
       loop: "{{ all_subunit_dirs }}"
       loop_control: