diff --git a/R/tasks/r-installation.yml b/R/tasks/r-installation.yml
index 1b7f3ab5..60e1b68b 100644
--- a/R/tasks/r-installation.yml
+++ b/R/tasks/r-installation.yml
@@ -9,26 +9,26 @@
 
 - name: Remove the hold state from the debian R packages
   shell: apt-mark unhold {{ item }}
-  with_items: r_base_packages_hold_list
+  with_items: '{{ r_base_packages_hold_list }}'
   when: r_base_packages_hold_list is defined
   ignore_errors: True
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg', 'r_pkg_hold' ]
 
 - name: Install the R base packages.
   apt: pkg={{ item }} state={{ r_packages_main_state }} force=yes update_cache=yes cache_valid_time=3600
-  with_items: r_base_packages_list
+  with_items: '{{ r_base_packages_list }}'
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg' ]
 
 - name: When we install specific R deb packages, put them on hold
   shell: apt-mark hold {{ item }}
-  with_items: r_base_packages_hold_list
+  with_items: '{{ r_base_packages_hold_list }}'
   when: r_base_specific_version
   ignore_errors: True
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg', 'r_pkg_hold' ]
 
 - name: Install the R additional modules from the deb repo
   apt: pkg={{ item }} state={{ r_packages_state }} force=yes
-  with_items: r_plugins_packages_list
+  with_items: '{{ r_plugins_packages_list }}'
   when: r_plugins_from_deb
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg' ]
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
   
 - name: Install some packages needed by R packages when installed from source
   apt: pkg={{ item }} state={{ r_packages_state }} update_cache=yes force=yes
-  with_items: r_distribution_required_packages
+  with_items: '{{ r_distribution_required_packages }}'
   when: r_needs_additional_distro_pkgs
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg' ]
   
@@ -54,26 +54,25 @@
   register: install_plugins_result
   failed_when: "install_plugins_result.rc != 0 or 'had non-zero exit status' in install_plugins_result.stderr"
   changed_when: "'Added' in install_plugins_result.stdout"
-  with_items: r_plugins_list_to_install
+  with_items: '{{ r_plugins_list_to_install }}'
   when: r_plugins_install_latest_source
   ignore_errors: True
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg', 'r_plugins' ]
 
 - name: Get the R packages sources that need to be installed
   get_url: url={{ item.url }} dest={{ r_source_plugins_dest_dir }}
-  with_items: r_plugins_from_sources
+  with_items: '{{ r_plugins_from_sources }}'
   when: r_plugins_install_specific_source
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg', 'r_plugins', 'r_plugins_version' ]
   
-- name: Install R packages from the cran sources, specific versions
+- name: Install R packages from the cran sources, specific versions. First try
   command: >
     Rscript --slave --no-save --no-restore-history -e "if (! ('{{ item.name }}' %in% installed.packages()[,'Package'])) { install.packages('{{ r_source_plugins_dest_dir }}/{{ item.source }}', repos = NULL, type='source'); print('Added'); } else if (packageVersion('{{ item.name }}') != '{{ item.version }}') { install.packages('{{ r_source_plugins_dest_dir }}/{{ item.source }}', repos = NULL, type='source'); print('Added'); } else { print('Already Installed'); }"
   register: install_s_plugins_result
   failed_when: "install_s_plugins_result.rc != 0 or 'had non-zero exit status' in install_s_plugins_result.stderr"
   changed_when: '"Added" in install_s_plugins_result.stdout'
-  with_items: r_plugins_from_sources
+  with_items: '{{ r_plugins_from_sources }}'
   when: r_plugins_install_specific_source
-  register: r_packages_specific_source
   ignore_errors: True
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg', 'r_plugins', 'r_plugins_version' ]
 
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@
   register: install_s_plugins_result
   failed_when: "install_s_plugins_result.rc != 0 or 'had non-zero exit status' in install_s_plugins_result.stderr"
   changed_when: '"Added" in install_s_plugins_result.stdout'
-  with_items: r_plugins_from_sources
+  with_items: '{{ r_plugins_from_sources }}'
   when:
     - r_plugins_install_specific_source
     - "install_s_plugins_result.rc != 0 or 'had non-zero exit status' in install_s_plugins_result.stderr"
@@ -95,7 +94,7 @@
   register: install_plugins_result
   failed_when: "install_plugins_result.rc != 0 or 'had non-zero exit status' in install_plugins_result.stderr"
   changed_when: "'Added' in install_plugins_result.stdout"
-  with_items: r_plugins_list_to_install
+  with_items: '{{ r_plugins_list_to_install }}'
   when:
     - r_plugins_install_latest_source
     - "install_plugins_result.rc != 0 or 'had non-zero exit status' in install_plugins_result.stderr"
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@
   register: install_github_plugins_result
   failed_when: "install_github_plugins_result.rc != 0 or 'had non-zero exit status' in install_github_plugins_result.stderr"
   changed_when: "'Added' in install_github_plugins_result.stdout"
-  with_items: r_plugins_from_github
+  with_items: '{{ r_plugins_from_github }}'
   when: r_plugins_from_github is defined
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg', 'r_plugins', 'r_plugins_github' ]
 
@@ -117,6 +116,6 @@
   register: remove_plugins_result
   failed_when: remove_plugins_result.rc != 0
   changed_when: "'Removed' in remove_plugins_result.stdout"
-  with_items: r_plugins_list_to_remove
+  with_items: '{{ r_plugins_list_to_remove }}'
   when: r_plugins_list_to_remove is defined
   tags: [ 'r_software', 'r_pkg', 'r_plugins' ]