diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index 1872b34..d68caee 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -9,14 +9,15 @@
     shell: "mdadm -D {{ item.device }}"
     ignore_errors: yes
     register: mdadm_check
-    with_items: software_raid_devices
+    with_items: "{{ software_raid_devices }}"
     when: software_raid_devices is defined
+    changed_when: false
 
   - name: software raid - initialise raid devices
     shell: mdadm -v --create {{ item.0.device }} --level={{ item.0.level }} --raid-devices={{ item.0.components | length }} {{ item.0.components | join(" ") }} {{ software_raid_create_kwargs }}
     with_together:
-      - software_raid_devices
-      - mdadm_check.results
+      - "{{ software_raid_devices }}"
+      - "{{ mdadm_check.results }}"
     when: software_raid_devices is defined and item.1.rc != 0
 
   - name: software raid - scan raid devices
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@
     ignore_errors: yes
     register: mdadm_scan
     when: software_raid_devices is defined
+    changed_when: false
 
   - name: software raid - create mdadm config file
     template: src=mdadm.conf.j2 dest=/etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf
@@ -33,12 +35,13 @@
     shell: "update-initramfs -u"
     ignore_errors: yes
     when: software_raid_devices is defined and ansible_os_family == "Debian"
+    changed_when: false
 
   - name: software raid - filesystem creation
     filesystem:
       fstype: "{{ item.filesystem_type }}"
       dev: "{{ item.device }}"
-    with_items: software_raid_devices
+    with_items: "{{ software_raid_devices }}"
     when: software_raid_devices is defined and item.mount_point is defined
 
   - name: software raid - mount raid devices
@@ -50,5 +53,5 @@
       dump: "{{ item.dump }}"
       passno: "{{ item.passno }}"
       state: mounted
-    with_items: software_raid_devices
+    with_items: "{{ software_raid_devices }}"
     when: software_raid_devices is defined and item.mount_point is defined
diff --git a/tasks/validate.yml b/tasks/validate.yml
index 6e1b75b..b9b865e 100644
--- a/tasks/validate.yml
+++ b/tasks/validate.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
         - item.device != ""
         - item.level != ""
         - item.components | length > 1
-    with_items: software_raid_devices
+    with_items: "{{ software_raid_devices }}"
     when: software_raid_devices is defined
 
 
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@
         - item.mount_options != ""
         - item.passno != ""
         - item.dump != ""
-    with_items: software_raid_devices
+    with_items: "{{ software_raid_devices }}"
     when: software_raid_devices is defined and item.mount_point is defined
diff --git a/templates/mdadm.conf.j2 b/templates/mdadm.conf.j2
index adbd6d4..5a982d2 100644
--- a/templates/mdadm.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/mdadm.conf.j2
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ CREATE owner=root group=disk mode=0660 auto=yes
 HOMEHOST <system>
 
 # instruct the monitoring daemon where to send mail alerts
-MAILADDR {{ software_raid_alerts_email }}
+MAILADDR  {{ software_raid_alerts_email }}
 
 # definitions of existing MD arrays
 {{ mdadm_scan.stdout }}