diff --git a/tasks/elasticsearch-plugins.yml b/tasks/elasticsearch-plugins.yml
index c2a70a7..b42a056 100644
--- a/tasks/elasticsearch-plugins.yml
+++ b/tasks/elasticsearch-plugins.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 - name: Remove elasticsearch plugins
   command: "{{es_home}}/bin/plugin remove {{item}} --silent"
   ignore_errors: yes
-  with_items: "{{ installed_plugins.stdout_lines }}"
+  with_items: "{{ installed_plugins.stdout_lines | default([]) }}"
   when: es_plugins_reinstall and installed_plugins.stdout_lines | length > 0 and not 'No plugin detected' in installed_plugins.stdout_lines[0]
   notify: restart elasticsearch
   register: plugin_installed
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
   register: plugin_installed
   failed_when: "'ERROR' in plugin_installed.stdout"
   changed_when: plugin_installed.rc == 0
-  with_items: "{{ es_plugins }}"
-  when: es_plugins is defined and not es_plugins is none and es_plugins_reinstall
+  with_items: "{{ es_plugins | default([]) }}"
+  when: not es_plugins is none and es_plugins_reinstall
   notify: restart elasticsearch
   environment:
     CONF_DIR: "{{ conf_dir }}"