diff --git a/playbooks/release/pre.yaml b/playbooks/release/pre.yaml
index 63685437c2..27aa016a53 100644
--- a/playbooks/release/pre.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/release/pre.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
       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() | list }}"
   roles:
     - role: configure-git
       git_config:
diff --git a/roles/use-cached-repos/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/use-cached-repos/tasks/main.yaml
index b5db378da9..5825d0bdd8 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() | list }}"
   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() | list }}"
     - "{{ cached_repos.results }}"
 
 - name: Clone upstream repo to workspace
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@
     creates: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/{{ item.0.src_dir}}"
   when: not item.1.stat.exists
   with_together:
-    - "{{ zuul.projects }}"
+    - "{{ zuul._projects.values() | list }}"
     - "{{ cached_repos.results }}"
 
 - name: Remove origin from local git repos
   command: "git remote rm origin"
   args:
     chdir: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/{{ item.src_dir}}"
-  with_items: "{{ zuul.projects }}"
+  with_items: "{{ zuul._projects.values() | list }}"