diff --git a/kollacli/api/properties.py b/kollacli/api/properties.py
index 32890eb..a426ffa 100644
--- a/kollacli/api/properties.py
+++ b/kollacli/api/properties.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 import logging
+import yaml
 
 import kollacli.i18n as u
 
@@ -44,21 +45,29 @@ class PropertyApi(object):
         :type change_set: list of strings
 
         """
+        ansible_properties = AnsibleProperties()
         for key, value in property_dict.items():
             check_arg(key, u._('Property Key'), str)
-            check_arg(value, u._('Property Value'), str, empty_ok=True)
-            if '"' in value:
+            current_property = ansible_properties.get_property(key)
+            if current_property is not None:
+                current_property_type = current_property.value_type
+                if (current_property_type is not str and
+                        current_property is not None):
+                    value = yaml.safe_load(value)
+                    check_arg(value, u._('Property Value'),
+                              current_property_type, empty_ok=True)
+                    property_dict[key] = value
+            else:
+                check_arg(value, u._('Property Value'), str, empty_ok=True)
+            if type(value) is str and '"' in value:
                 raise InvalidArgument(u._('Cannot use double quotes in '
                                           'a property value.'))
-        property_dict = safe_decode(property_dict)
 
         self._check_type(property_type)
         if property_type is not GLOBAL_TYPE:
             check_arg(change_set, u._('Change Set'), list, none_ok=True)
             change_set = safe_decode(change_set)
 
-        ansible_properties = AnsibleProperties()
-
         if property_type == GLOBAL_TYPE:
             ansible_properties.set_property(property_dict)
         elif property_type == GROUP_TYPE:
@@ -142,7 +151,7 @@ class Property(object):
 
     Members:
         - name (str): key
-        - value (str): value
+        - value (Any): value
         - file_name (str): name of file property is from
         - overrides (bool): does the property override some other value
         - orig_value (str): the value which is overridden or None
@@ -151,6 +160,7 @@ class Property(object):
         - ovr_global (bool): true if property is overridden at global level
         - ovr_group (bool): true if property is overridden at group level
         - ovr_host (bool): true if property is overridden at host level
+        - value_type (type): the python type of the value
     """
 
     def __init__(self, ansible_property, override_flags):
@@ -161,6 +171,7 @@ class Property(object):
         self.orig_value = ansible_property.orig_value
         self.target = ansible_property.target
         self.prop_type = ansible_property.prop_type
+        self.value_type = ansible_property.value_type
 
         if override_flags is not None:
             self.ovr_global = override_flags.ovr_global
diff --git a/kollacli/common/ansible/actions.py b/kollacli/common/ansible/actions.py
index ea75809..2335285 100644
--- a/kollacli/common/ansible/actions.py
+++ b/kollacli/common/ansible/actions.py
@@ -219,8 +219,9 @@ def _run_deploy_rules(playbook):
     expected_files = ['account.ring.gz',
                       'container.ring.gz',
                       'object.ring.gz']
-    is_enabled = properties.get_property('enable_swift')
-    if is_string_true(is_enabled):
+    is_swift_enabled = _is_service_enabled('swift', inventory, properties)
+
+    if is_swift_enabled:
         path_pre = os.path.join(get_kolla_etc(), 'config', 'swift')
         for expected_file in expected_files:
             path = os.path.join(path_pre, expected_file)
@@ -235,15 +236,10 @@ def _run_deploy_rules(playbook):
 
 
 def _is_service_enabled(servicename, inventory, properties):
-    service_enabled = False
-
     service = inventory.get_service(servicename)
     if service is not None:
         enabled_property = 'enable_' + servicename.replace('-', '_')
-        is_enabled = properties.get_property(enabled_property)
-        if is_string_true(is_enabled):
-            service_enabled = True
-        else:
-            service_enabled = False
-
-    return service_enabled
+        is_enabled = properties.get_property_value(enabled_property)
+        if type(is_enabled) is str:
+            is_enabled = is_string_true(is_enabled)
+    return is_enabled
diff --git a/kollacli/common/properties.py b/kollacli/common/properties.py
index 9b22883..ca61adc 100644
--- a/kollacli/common/properties.py
+++ b/kollacli/common/properties.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 import copy
 import logging
 import os
-import six
 import yaml
 
 import kollacli.i18n as u
@@ -220,7 +219,7 @@ class AnsibleProperties(object):
                     prop_list += self.group_props[group.name]
         return prop_list
 
-    def get_property(self, property_name):
+    def get_property_value(self, property_name):
         self._load_properties()
         prop_val = None
         if property_name in self.unique_global_props:
@@ -228,6 +227,10 @@ class AnsibleProperties(object):
             prop_val = prop.value
         return prop_val
 
+    def get_property(self, property_name):
+        self._load_properties()
+        return self.unique_global_props.get(property_name)
+
     def get_all_unique(self):
         self._load_properties()
         unique_list = []
@@ -239,21 +242,6 @@ class AnsibleProperties(object):
         self._load_properties()
         return self.unique_override_flags
 
-    # TODO(bmace) -- if this isn't used for 2.1.x it should be removed
-    # property listing is still being tweaked so leaving for
-    # the time being in case we want to use it
-    def filter_jinja2(self, contents):
-        new_contents = {}
-        for key, value in contents.items():
-            if not isinstance(value, six.string_types):
-                LOG.debug('removing non-string: %s', value)
-                continue
-            if value and '{{' in value and '}}' in value:
-                LOG.debug('removing jinja2 value: %s', value)
-                continue
-            new_contents[key] = value
-        return new_contents
-
     def set_property(self, property_dict):
         change_property(self.globals_path, property_dict,
                         clear=False)
@@ -365,6 +353,7 @@ class AnsibleProperty(object):
         self.overrides = overrides
         self.orig_value = orig_value
         self.target = target
+        self.value_type = type(value)
 
 
 class OverrideFlags(object):
diff --git a/kollacli/common/support.py b/kollacli/common/support.py
index ccf5edd..cd0a430 100644
--- a/kollacli/common/support.py
+++ b/kollacli/common/support.py
@@ -62,9 +62,9 @@ class HostLogs(object):
 
         ansible_properties = AnsibleProperties()
         base_distro = \
-            ansible_properties.get_property('kolla_base_distro')
+            ansible_properties.get_property_value('kolla_base_distro')
         install_type = \
-            ansible_properties.get_property('kolla_install_type')
+            ansible_properties.get_property_value('kolla_install_type')
         # typically this prefix will be "ol-openstack-"
         container_prefix = base_distro + '-' + install_type + '-'
 
diff --git a/kollacli/common/utils.py b/kollacli/common/utils.py
index 751a0a7..047413a 100644
--- a/kollacli/common/utils.py
+++ b/kollacli/common/utils.py
@@ -286,7 +286,13 @@ def change_property(file_path, property_dict, clear=False):
                     # clear existing property
                     continue
                 # edit existing property
-                line = '%s: "%s"' % (split_key, cloned_dict[split_key])
+                value = cloned_dict[split_key]
+                if type(value) is not str:
+                    value = yaml.safe_dump(value).strip()
+                    line = '%s: %s' % (split_key, value)
+                else:
+                    line = '%s: "%s"' % (split_key, value)
+
                 # clear out the key after we are done, all existing keys
                 # will be appended at the end (or for clear, ignored)
                 del cloned_dict[split_key]
@@ -294,10 +300,22 @@ def change_property(file_path, property_dict, clear=False):
     if not clear:
         # add new properties to file
         for key, value in cloned_dict.items():
-            line = '%s: "%s"' % (key, value)
+            if type(value) is not str:
+                value = yaml.safe_dump(value).strip()
+                line = '%s: %s' % (key, value)
+            else:
+                line = '%s: "%s"' % (key, value)
+
+            # when we are doing an append we want to avoid
+            # blank lines before the new entry
+            if new_contents[-1:][0] == '':
+                del new_contents[-1]
             new_contents.append(line)
 
-    write_data = '\n'.join(new_contents)
+    # if the last line is blank, trim it off
+    if new_contents[-1:][0] == '':
+        del new_contents[-1]
+    write_data = '\n'.join(new_contents) + '\n'
     sync_write_file(file_path, write_data)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/property.py b/tests/property.py
index 722f2fe..75d9174 100644
--- a/tests/property.py
+++ b/tests/property.py
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@ class TestFunctional(KollaCliTest):
         bad_path = self._is_size_ok(sizes, 0, '=', 3)
         self.assertIsNone(bad_path, 'Size of file %s is ' % bad_path +
                           'different from initial size '
-                          '(%s %s)'
-                          % (switch, targets_csv))
+                          '(%s %s %s)'
+                          % (switch, targets_csv, str(sizes)))
 
         # test setting empty string
         value = '""'