diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index c8a23a3..78ee1a1 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -243,3 +243,6 @@ trove_services:
     execstarts: "{{ trove_bin }}/trove-taskmanager"
     init_config_overrides: "{{ trove_taskmanager_init_config_overrides }}"
     start_order: 3
+
+_trove_is_first_play_host: "{{ (trove_services['trove-api']['group'] in group_names and inventory_hostname == (groups[trove_services['trove-api']['group']] | intersect(ansible_play_hosts)) | first) | bool }}"
+_trove_conductor_is_first_play_host: "{{ (trove_services['trove-conductor']['group'] in group_names and inventory_hostname == (groups[trove_services['trove-conductor']['group']] | intersect(ansible_play_hosts)) | first) | bool }}"
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index 1561e46..a03429c 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@
 
 - import_tasks: db_setup.yml
   when:
-    - "trove_services['trove-api']['group'] in group_names"
-    - "inventory_hostname == ((groups[trove_services['trove-api']['group']]| intersect(ansible_play_hosts)) | list)[0]"
+    - _trove_is_first_play_host
   vars:
     _oslodb_setup_host: "{{ trove_db_setup_host }}"
     _oslodb_ansible_python_interpreter: "{{ trove_db_setup_python_interpreter }}"
@@ -55,8 +54,7 @@
 
 - import_tasks: mq_setup.yml
   when:
-    - "trove_services['trove-api']['group'] in group_names"
-    - "inventory_hostname == ((groups[trove_services['trove-api']['group']]| intersect(ansible_play_hosts)) | list)[0]"
+    - _trove_is_first_play_host
   vars:
     _oslomsg_rpc_setup_host: "{{ trove_oslomsg_rpc_setup_host }}"
     _oslomsg_rpc_userid: "{{ trove_oslomsg_rpc_userid }}"
@@ -169,12 +167,12 @@
       - name: "{{ trove_service_name }}"
         type: "{{ trove_service_type }}"
         description: "{{ trove_service_description }}"
-  when: inventory_hostname == groups['trove_api'][0]
+  when: _trove_is_first_play_host
   tags:
     - trove-install
 
 - import_tasks: trove_db_sync.yml
-  when: inventory_hostname == groups['trove_conductor'][0]
+  when: _trove_conductor_is_first_play_host
   tags:
     - trove-install