diff --git a/roles/create-lxd/tasks/main.yml b/roles/create-lxd/tasks/main.yml
index fd3ace2..1b1dd7a 100644
--- a/roles/create-lxd/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/create-lxd/tasks/main.yml
@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@
     default_release: trusty-backports
 
 # For lxd_profile, has to be run as normal user
-- name: Get user's SSH public key into lxd_ssh_pubkey to create LXD profile
-  set_fact:
-    lxd_ssh_pubkey: "{{ lookup('file', '{{ ansible_user_dir }}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub') }}"
+- name: slurp user's SSH public key on remote machine to create LXD profile
+  slurp:
+    src: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub"
+  register: slurped_pubkey
 
 - name: Create openstack LXD profile
   become: yes
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@
       user.user-data: |
         #cloud-config
         ssh_authorized_keys:
-          - "{{ lxd_ssh_pubkey }}"
+          - "{{ slurped_pubkey['content'] | b64decode }}"
     description: 'OpenStack services on CORD'
     devices:
       eth0:
diff --git a/roles/create-lxd/templates/ansible_hosts.j2 b/roles/create-lxd/templates/ansible_hosts.j2
index e2e58de..21f5c8a 100644
--- a/roles/create-lxd/templates/ansible_hosts.j2
+++ b/roles/create-lxd/templates/ansible_hosts.j2
@@ -3,20 +3,27 @@
 
 # VMs will go away shortly in favor of containers
 [vms]
+{% if head_vm_list is defined -%}
 {% for vm in head_vm_list -%}
 {{ vm.name }}
 {% endfor -%}
+{% endif -%}
 
 [containers]
+{% if head_lxd_list is defined -%}
 {% for lxd in head_lxd_list -%}
 {{ lxd.name }}
 {% endfor -%}
+{% endif -%}
 
 [services:children]
 vms
 containers
 
 [docker]
+{% if head_vm_list is defined -%}
 {% for vm in head_vm_list | selectattr('docker_path', 'defined') -%}
 {{ vm.name }}
 {% endfor -%}
+{% endif -%}
+