diff --git a/playbooks/release/pre.yaml b/playbooks/release/pre.yaml
index 8c23c57e91..d1d5c24c7b 100644
--- a/playbooks/release/pre.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/release/pre.yaml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
       command: "git remote add origin https://{{ item.canonical_name }}"
       args:
         chdir: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/src/{{ item.canonical_name }}"
-      with_items: "{{ zuul.projects }}"
+      with_items: "{{ zuul._projects.values() }}"
 
   roles:
     - legacy-copy-project-config-scripts
diff --git a/roles/use-cached-repos/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/use-cached-repos/tasks/main.yaml
index b5db378da9..b0251faefc 100644
--- a/roles/use-cached-repos/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/use-cached-repos/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 - name: Find locally cached git repos
   stat:
     path: "/opt/git/{{ item.name }}"
-  with_items: "{{ zuul.projects }}"
+  with_items: "{{ zuul.projects.values() }}"
   register: cached_repos
 
 - name: Clone cached repo to workspace
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     creates: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/{{ item.0.src_dir}}"
   when: item.1.stat.exists
   with_together:
-    - "{{ zuul.projects }}"
+    - "{{ zuul.projects.values() }}"
     - "{{ cached_repos.results }}"
 
 - name: Clone upstream repo to workspace
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     creates: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/{{ item.0.src_dir}}"
   when: not item.1.stat.exists
   with_together:
-    - "{{ zuul.projects }}"
+    - "{{ zuul.projects.values() }}"
     - "{{ cached_repos.results }}"
 
 - name: Remove origin from local git repos