diff --git a/cluster.yml b/cluster.yml
index 51165ef08..8462ea894 100644
--- a/cluster.yml
+++ b/cluster.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     - role: rkt
       tags: rkt
       when: "'rkt' in [etcd_deployment_type, kubelet_deployment_type, vault_deployment_type]"
-    - { role: download, tags: download, when: "skip_downloads == 'false'" }
+    - { role: download, tags: download, when: "not skip_downloads" }
   environment: "{{proxy_env}}"
 
 - hosts: etcd:k8s-cluster:vault:calico-rr
diff --git a/scale.yml b/scale.yml
index 73158a663..a80d080b0 100644
--- a/scale.yml
+++ b/scale.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     - role: rkt
       tags: rkt
       when: "'rkt' in [etcd_deployment_type, kubelet_deployment_type, vault_deployment_type]"
-    - { role: download, tags: download, when: "skip_downloads == 'false'" }
+    - { role: download, tags: download, when: "not skip_downloads" }
     - { role: etcd, tags: etcd, etcd_cluster_setup: false }
     - { role: vault, tags: vault, when: "cert_management == 'vault'"}
     - { role: kubernetes/node, tags: node }
diff --git a/upgrade-cluster.yml b/upgrade-cluster.yml
index a6b7875e1..3d75883dd 100644
--- a/upgrade-cluster.yml
+++ b/upgrade-cluster.yml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     - role: rkt
       tags: rkt
       when: "'rkt' in [etcd_deployment_type, kubelet_deployment_type, vault_deployment_type]"
-    - { role: download, tags: download, when: "skip_downloads == 'false'" }
+    - { role: download, tags: download, when: "not skip_downloads" }
   environment: "{{proxy_env}}"
 
 - hosts: etcd:k8s-cluster:vault