diff --git a/tripleo_common/tests/fake_config/fakes.py b/tripleo_common/tests/fake_config/fakes.py
index c6b3a751d..fbe6d0cf2 100644
--- a/tripleo_common/tests/fake_config/fakes.py
+++ b/tripleo_common/tests/fake_config/fakes.py
@@ -50,13 +50,15 @@ FAKE_STACK = {
                  'upgrade_batch_tasks': [],
                  'upgrade_tasks': [{'name': 'Stop fake service',
                                     'service': 'name=fake state=stopped',
-                                    'tags': 'step1',
-                                    'when': 'existingcondition'},
+                                    'when': ['nova_api_enabled.rc == 0',
+                                             'httpd_enabled.rc != 0',
+                                             'step|int == 1']},
                                    {'name': 'Stop nova-compute service',
                                     'service': 'name=openstack-nova-compute '
                                                'state=stopped',
-                                    'tags': 'step1',
-                                    'when': ['existing', 'list']}]
+                                    'when': ['nova_compute_enabled.rc == 0',
+                                             'step|int == 2', 'existing',
+                                             'list']}]
                  },
              'FakeController': {
                  'config_settings': {'tripleo::haproxy::user': 'admin'},
@@ -75,7 +77,7 @@ FAKE_STACK = {
                  'upgrade_batch_tasks': [],
                  'upgrade_tasks': [{'name': 'Stop fake service',
                                     'service': 'name=fake state=stopped',
-                                    'tags': 'step1'}]}}}]}
+                                    'when': 'step|int == 1'}]}}}]}
 
 
 def create_to_dict_mock(**kwargs):
diff --git a/tripleo_common/tests/utils/test_config.py b/tripleo_common/tests/utils/test_config.py
index 1ef9fa014..ef9d9e4ed 100644
--- a/tripleo_common/tests/utils/test_config.py
+++ b/tripleo_common/tests/utils/test_config.py
@@ -124,22 +124,22 @@ class TestConfig(base.TestCase):
         expected_tasks = {'FakeController': [{'name': 'Stop fake service',
                                               'service': 'name=fake '
                                               'state=stopped',
-                                              'tags': 'step1',
                                               'when': 'step|int == 1'}],
                           'FakeCompute': [{'name': 'Stop fake service',
                                            'service':
                                            'name=fake state=stopped',
-                                           'tags': 'step1',
-                                           'when': ['step|int == 1',
-                                                    'existingcondition']},
+                                           'when': ['nova_api_enabled.rc == 0',
+                                                    'httpd_enabled.rc != 0',
+                                                    'step|int == 1']},
                                           {'name': 'Stop nova-'
                                            'compute service',
                                            'service':
                                            'name=openstack-nova-'
                                            'compute state=stopped',
-                                           'tags': 'step1',
-                                           'when': ['step|int == 1',
-                                                    'existing', 'list']}]}
+                                           'when': [
+                                               'nova_compute_enabled.rc == 0',
+                                               'step|int == 2', 'existing',
+                                               'list']}]}
         for role in fake_role:
             filedir = os.path.join(self.tmp_dir, role)
             os.makedirs(filedir)
diff --git a/tripleo_common/utils/config.py b/tripleo_common/utils/config.py
index ca35cb87b..9f2e2b8bf 100644
--- a/tripleo_common/utils/config.py
+++ b/tripleo_common/utils/config.py
@@ -101,34 +101,24 @@ class Config(object):
                                  os.O_WRONLY | os.O_CREAT, 0o600),
                          'w')
 
-    def _step_tags_to_when(self, sorted_tasks):
-        for task in sorted_tasks:
-            tag = task.get('tags', '')
-            match = re.search('step([0-9]+)', tag)
-            if match:
-                step = match.group(1)
-                whenexpr = task.get('when', None)
-                if whenexpr is None:
-                    task.update({"when": "step|int == %s" % step})
-                else:
-                    # Handle when: foo and a list of when conditionals
-                    if not isinstance(whenexpr, list):
-                        whenexpr = [whenexpr]
-                    for w in whenexpr:
-                        when_exists = re.search('step|int == [0-9]', "%s" % w)
-                        if when_exists:
-                            break
-                    if when_exists:
-                        # Skip to the next task,
-                        # there is an existing 'step|int == N'
-                        continue
-                    whenexpr.insert(0, "step|int == %s" % step)
-                    task['when'] = whenexpr
-
     def _write_playbook_get_tasks(self, tasks, role, filepath):
         playbook = []
-        sorted_tasks = sorted(tasks, key=lambda x: x.get('tags', None))
-        self._step_tags_to_when(sorted_tasks)
+
+        def get_key(task):
+            whenexpr = task.get('when', None)
+            if whenexpr is None:
+                return ''
+            if not isinstance(whenexpr, list):
+                whenexpr = [whenexpr]
+            for w in whenexpr:
+                # make \|int optional incase forgotten; use only step digit:
+                match = re.search('step(\|int)? == ([0-9]+)', "%s" % w)
+                if match:
+                    matches = len(match.groups())
+                    return match.group(matches)
+            return ''
+
+        sorted_tasks = sorted(tasks, key=get_key)
         playbook.append({'name': '%s playbook' % role,
                          'hosts': role,
                          'tasks': sorted_tasks})