diff --git a/tests/unit/test_yamlutil.py b/tests/unit/test_yamlutil.py
index 9c3fb3f66a..c1292fda93 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_yamlutil.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_yamlutil.py
@@ -82,3 +82,29 @@ list:
 """
         yaml_out = yamlutil.ansible_unsafe_dump(data, default_flow_style=False)
         self.assertEqual(yaml_out, expected)
+
+    def test_ansible_dumper_with_aliases(self):
+        foo = {'bar': 'baz'}
+        data = {'foo1': foo, 'foo2': foo}
+        expected = """\
+foo1: &id001
+  bar: baz
+foo2: *id001
+"""
+        yaml_out = yamlutil.ansible_unsafe_dump(data, default_flow_style=False)
+        self.assertEqual(yaml_out, expected)
+
+    def test_ansible_dumper_ignore_aliases(self):
+        foo = {'bar': 'baz'}
+        data = {'foo1': foo, 'foo2': foo}
+        expected = """\
+foo1:
+  bar: baz
+foo2:
+  bar: baz
+"""
+        yaml_out = yamlutil.ansible_unsafe_dump(
+            data,
+            ignore_aliases=True,
+            default_flow_style=False)
+        self.assertEqual(yaml_out, expected)
diff --git a/zuul/executor/server.py b/zuul/executor/server.py
index a96b6b869c..127274bf26 100644
--- a/zuul/executor/server.py
+++ b/zuul/executor/server.py
@@ -2442,7 +2442,10 @@ class AnsibleJob(object):
         inventory['all']['vars']['zuul'] = self.zuul_vars
         with open(self.jobdir.inventory, 'w') as inventory_yaml:
             inventory_yaml.write(
-                yaml.ansible_unsafe_dump(inventory, default_flow_style=False))
+                yaml.ansible_unsafe_dump(
+                    inventory,
+                    ignore_aliases=True,
+                    default_flow_style=False))
 
     def writeSetupInventory(self):
         jobdir_playbook = self.jobdir.setup_playbook
diff --git a/zuul/lib/yamlutil.py b/zuul/lib/yamlutil.py
index f41b09a503..adb8270f0c 100644
--- a/zuul/lib/yamlutil.py
+++ b/zuul/lib/yamlutil.py
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ class AnsibleUnsafeDumper(yaml.SafeDumper):
     pass
 
 
+class AnsibleUnsafeDumperWithoutAliases(yaml.SafeDumper):
+    def ignore_aliases(self, data):
+        return True
+
+
 class AnsibleUnsafeLoader(yaml.SafeLoader):
     pass
 
@@ -153,7 +158,12 @@ AnsibleUnsafeLoader.add_constructor(AnsibleUnsafeStr.yaml_tag,
 
 
 def ansible_unsafe_dump(data, *args, **kwargs):
-    return yaml.dump(data, *args, Dumper=AnsibleUnsafeDumper, **kwargs)
+    ignore_aliases = kwargs.pop('ignore_aliases', False)
+    if ignore_aliases:
+        return yaml.dump(data, *args, Dumper=AnsibleUnsafeDumperWithoutAliases,
+                         **kwargs)
+    else:
+        return yaml.dump(data, *args, Dumper=AnsibleUnsafeDumper, **kwargs)
 
 
 def ansible_unsafe_load(stream, *args, **kwargs):