diff --git a/ansible_ppa/defaults/main.yml b/ansible_ppa/defaults/main.yml
index fef4bdc0..bf7b02d9 100644
--- a/ansible_ppa/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/ansible_ppa/defaults/main.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,31 @@ ansible_cfg_file: /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg
 # options: smart, implicit, explicit.
 ansible_gathering: smart
 ansible_command_warnings: True
-ansible_control_path: '%(directory)s/%%h-%%r'
+ansible_control_path: '%(directory)s/ansible-ssh-%%h-%%p-%%r'
 #
 # Note: it breaks sudo if there's 'requiretty' inside the sudoers file
 ansible_pipelining: True
-ansible_scp_if_ssh: True
+
+# Plugins base directory
+ansible_plugins_base_dir: /usr/share/ansible/plugins
+ansible_plugins_dirs:
+  - '{{ ansible_plugins_base_dir }}/action'
+  - '{{ ansible_plugins_base_dir }}/callback'
+  - '{{ ansible_plugins_base_dir }}/connection'
+  - '{{ ansible_plugins_base_dir }}/lookup'
+  - '{{ ansible_plugins_base_dir }}/vars'
+  - '{{ ansible_plugins_base_dir }}/filter'
+  - '{{ ansible_plugins_base_dir }}/test'
+
+ansible_config_options:
+  - { section: 'defaults', option: 'gathering', value: '{{ ansible_gathering }}', state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'defaults', option: 'host_key_checking', value: False, state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'defaults', option: 'command_warnings', value: '{{ ansible_command_warnings }}', state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'defaults', option: 'control_path', value: '{{ ansible_control_path }}', state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'defaults', option: 'ansible_managed', value: 'Ansible managed: {file} on {host}', state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'defaults', option: 'bin_ansible_callbacks', value: False, state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'defaults', option: 'fact_caching', value: 'memory', state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'defaults', option: 'retry_files_enabled', value: True, state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'defaults', option: 'retry_files_save_path', value: '~/.ansible_retry', state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'ssh_connection', option: 'control_path', value: '{{ ansible_control_path }}', state: 'present' }
+  - { section: 'ssh_connection', option: 'pipelining', value: '{{ ansible_pipelining }}', state: 'present' }
diff --git a/ansible_ppa/tasks/ansible-config.yml b/ansible_ppa/tasks/ansible-config.yml
index 146eb334..c62c1ce7 100644
--- a/ansible_ppa/tasks/ansible-config.yml
+++ b/ansible_ppa/tasks/ansible-config.yml
@@ -1,32 +1,11 @@
 ---
-- name: Set the gather facts policy
-  action: configfile path={{ ansible_cfg_file }} key=gathering value='{{ ansible_gathering }}'
-  tags:
-    - ansible
-    - ansible_cfg
-
-- name: Warn if some shell commands can be avoided using modules
-  action: configfile path={{ ansible_cfg_file }} key=command_warning value='{{ ansible_command_warnings }}'
-  tags:
-    - ansible
-    - ansible_cfg
-
-- name: Shorten the ansible control path
-  action: configfile path={{ ansible_cfg_file }} key=control_path value='{{ ansible_control_path }}'
-  tags:
-    - ansible
-    - ansible_cfg
-
-- name: Be fast, use pipelining when possible
-  action: configfile path={{ ansible_cfg_file }} key=pipelining value='{{ ansible_pipelining }}'
-  tags:
-    - ansible
-    - ansible_cfg
-
-- name: Use scp instead of sftp to transfer files
-  action: configfile path={{ ansible_cfg_file }} key=scp_if_ssh value='{{ ansible_scp_if_ssh }}'
-  tags:
-    - ansible
-    - ansible_cfg
-
+- name: Set some ansible configuration parameters
+  ini_file: dest={{ ansible_cfg_file }} section={{ item.section }} option={{ item.option }} value={{ item.value }}
+  with_items: '{{ ansible_config_options }}'
+  tags: [ 'ansible', 'ansible_cfg' ]
 
+- name: Create the ansible plugins directories
+  file: dest={{ item }} state=directory
+  with_items: '{{ ansible_plugins_dirs }}'
+  tags: [ 'ansible', 'ansible_cfg' ]
+  
diff --git a/nagios/tasks/dell-omsa.yml b/nagios/tasks/dell-omsa.yml
index 893b0d77..eae49ee9 100644
--- a/nagios/tasks/dell-omsa.yml
+++ b/nagios/tasks/dell-omsa.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
 - name: Install the Dell OMSA packages dependencies
   apt: pkg={{ item }} state=installed force=yes update_cache=yes
-  with_items: nagios_dell_omsa_deps
+  with_items: '{{ nagios_dell_omsa_deps }}'
   tags: [ 'dell', 'nagios' ]
 
 - name: Install other Dell OMSA packages dependencies
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@
 
 - name: Install the Dell OMSA packages
   apt: pkg={{ item }} state={{ nagios_dell_omsa_pkg_state }} force=yes
-  with_items: nagios_dell_omsa_pkgs
+  with_items: '{{ nagios_dell_omsa_pkgs }}'
   notify: Start Dell OMSA
   tags: [ 'dell', 'nagios' ]
 
 - name: Install some standalone plugins
   copy: src={{ item }} dest={{ nagios_isti_plugdir }}/{{ item }} owner=root group=nagios mode=0750
-  with_items: nagios_dell_standalone_checks
+  with_items: '{{ nagios_dell_standalone_checks }}'
   tags: [ 'dell', 'nagios' ]
 
 - name: Install a cron job that removes the leaked semaphores created by the nagios check of Dell hardware status
diff --git a/nagios/tasks/hardware-checks.yml b/nagios/tasks/hardware-checks.yml
index 84370f22..b392c2d1 100644
--- a/nagios/tasks/hardware-checks.yml
+++ b/nagios/tasks/hardware-checks.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 - name: Install some plugins that check hardware parts
   copy: src={{ item }} dest={{ nagios_isti_plugdir }}/{{ item }} owner=root group=nagios mode=0750
   with_items:
-    - check_linux_raid
     - check_smart
   tags:
     - nagios-hw
diff --git a/nagios/tasks/nagios.yml b/nagios/tasks/nagios.yml
index c47139ad..c805f387 100644
--- a/nagios/tasks/nagios.yml
+++ b/nagios/tasks/nagios.yml
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 ---
 - name: Install the nagios packages
   apt: pkg={{ item }} state=installed
-  with_items: nagios_plugins_base_pkgs
+  with_items: '{{ nagios_plugins_base_pkgs }}'
   when: is_not_debian_less_than_6
   tags: nagios
 
 - name: debian 6 has additional nagios plugins
   apt: pkg={{ item }} state=installed
-  with_items: nagios_plugins_contrib
+  with_items: '{{ nagios_plugins_contrib }}'
   tags: [ 'nagios', 'nagios_plug_contrib' ]
 
 - name: Create the directory where our local plugins are installed