diff --git a/tasks/repo_key_distribute.yml b/tasks/repo_key_distribute.yml
index a8f371f..e5c002c 100644
--- a/tasks/repo_key_distribute.yml
+++ b/tasks/repo_key_distribute.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 - name: Create authorized keys file from host vars
   authorized_key:
     user: "{{ repo_service_user_name }}"
-    key: "{{ hostvars[item]['repo_pubkey'] }}"
+    key: "{{ hostvars[item]['repo_pubkey'] | b64decode }}"
   with_items: groups['repo_all']
   tags:
     - repo-key
diff --git a/tasks/repo_key_populate.yml b/tasks/repo_key_populate.yml
index 2036e3f..626f1ca 100644
--- a/tasks/repo_key_populate.yml
+++ b/tasks/repo_key_populate.yml
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 - name: Get public key contents and store as var
-  command: |
-    cat {{ repo_service_home_folder }}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
+  slurp:
+    src: "{{ repo_service_home_folder }}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub"
   register: repo_pub
   changed_when: false
   tags:
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 - name: Register a fact for the repo user pub key
   set_fact:
-     repo_pubkey: "{{ repo_pub.stdout }}"
+     repo_pubkey: "{{ repo_pub.content }}"
   tags:
     - repo-key
     - repo-key-create