diff --git a/python-env/tasks/main.yml b/python-env/tasks/main.yml
index 8efe3e2..73a1a75 100644
--- a/python-env/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/python-env/tasks/main.yml
@@ -3,18 +3,18 @@
     
     - name: Install python pip
       apt: name={{ item }} state={{ py_env_pkgs_state }} update_cache=yes cache_valid_time=600
-      with_items: '{{ py_env_basic_pkgs }}'
+      with_items: '{{ py_env_basic_pkgs | default(omit) }}'
 
     - name: Install python deb packages
       apt: name={{ item }} state={{ py_env_pkgs_state }} update_cache=yes cache_valid_time=600
-      with_items: '{{ py_env_dpkg | default([]) }}'
+      with_items: '{{ py_env_dpkg | default(omit) }}'
 
     - name: Install deb packages needed to compile the pip modules
       apt: name={{ item }} state={{ py_env_pkgs_state }}  update_cache=yes cache_valid_time=600
-      with_items: '{{ py_pip_deps | default([]) }}'
+      with_items: '{{ py_pip_deps | default(omit) }}'
 
     - name: Install a list of pip packages
       pip: name={{ item }}
-      with_items: '{{ py_env_pip_pkgs | default ([]) }}'
+      with_items: '{{ py_env_pip_pkgs | default (omit) }}'
 
   tags: [ "python", "py_env" ]