diff --git a/smartgears/smartgears/defaults/main.yml b/smartgears/smartgears/defaults/main.yml
index 837c80e6..c2477895 100644
--- a/smartgears/smartgears/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/smartgears/smartgears/defaults/main.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ gcube_repository_stagin_test: 'gcube-staging-test'
 # distribution version
 smartgears_upgrade: False
 smartgears_force_install: False
+smartgears_remove_state: False
 
 smartgears_node: True
 smartgears_install_generic_virthost: True
diff --git a/smartgears/smartgears/tasks/smartgears-app.yml b/smartgears/smartgears/tasks/smartgears-app.yml
index eee6c0b9..44ff30d2 100644
--- a/smartgears/smartgears/tasks/smartgears-app.yml
+++ b/smartgears/smartgears/tasks/smartgears-app.yml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
   
 - name: Remove the smartgears application state if the configuration changed
   file: dest={{ smartgears_install_path }}/state state=absent
-  when: ( containerxml_state | changed )
+  when: smartgears_remove_state
   notify: Restart smartgears 
   tags: [ 'smartgears', 'smartgears_conf', 'tomcat' ]