diff --git a/playbooks/galera_status.yml b/playbooks/galera_status.yml
index bf8e0ce..c83a45e 100644
--- a/playbooks/galera_status.yml
+++ b/playbooks/galera_status.yml
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
   shell: mysql --defaults-file=/mnt/state/root/metadata.my.cnf --socket /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock -N -e "SHOW STATUS LIKE 'wsrep_cluster_size'"|cut -f2
   when: helion is not defined
   register: wsrep_cluster_size
+- set_fact: galera_cluster_size="{{wsrep_cluster_size.stdout}}"
+  when: helion is not defined
 - name: Fetch Galera sync status from MySQL - Helion
   sudo: yes
   command: mysql --defaults-file=/mnt/state/root/metadata.my.cnf -N -e "SHOW STATUS LIKE 'wsrep_local_state'"
@@ -31,3 +33,6 @@
   shell: mysql --defaults-file=/mnt/state/root/metadata.my.cnf -N -e "SHOW STATUS LIKE 'wsrep_cluster_size'"|cut -f2
   when: helion is defined
   register: wsrep_cluster_size
+- set_fact: galera_cluster_size="{{wsrep_cluster_size.stdout}}"
+  when: helion is defined
+
diff --git a/playbooks/update_cloud.yml b/playbooks/update_cloud.yml
index 09e0c35..ad98e22 100644
--- a/playbooks/update_cloud.yml
+++ b/playbooks/update_cloud.yml
@@ -150,14 +150,14 @@
       when: instance_status == "ACTIVE"
     - name: Stop MySQL under normal circumstances
       include: stop_mysql.yml
-      when: instance_status == "ACTIVE" and galera_status == "Synced" and wsrep_cluster_size.stdout != "1"
+      when: instance_status == "ACTIVE" and galera_status == "Synced" and galera_cluster_size != "1"
     - name: Stop MySQL if last node in cluster and single_controller flag has been set.
       include: stop_mysql.yml
-      when: instance_status == "ACTIVE" and single_controller is defined and galera_status == "Synced" and wsrep_cluster_size.stdout == "1"
+      when: instance_status == "ACTIVE" and single_controller is defined and galera_status == "Synced" and galera_cluster_size == "1"
     - fail: msg="Galera Replication is out of sync - cannot safely proceed"
       when: single_controller is not defined and instance_status == "ACTIVE" and galera_status == "Out of Sync"
     - fail: msg="Galera Replication - Node appears to be the last node in a cluster - cannot safely proceed unless overriden via single_controller setting - See README.rst"
-      when: instance_status == "ACTIVE" and single_controller is not defined and wsrep_cluster_size.stdout == "1"
+      when: instance_status == "ACTIVE" and single_controller is not defined and galera_cluster_size == "1"
     - name: Stop RabbitMQ Application for shutdown
       command: rabbitmqctl stop_app
     - name: Remove the node from the RabbitMQ cluster
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@
     - fail: msg="Galera Replication on controller Management is out of sync - cannot safely proceed"
       when: instance_status == "ACTIVE" and single_controller is not defined and galera_status != "Synced"
     - fail: msg="Galera Replication on controller Management - cannot safely proceed as another MySQL cluster node is active."
-      when: instance_status == "ACTIVE" and single_controller is not defined and wsrep_cluster_size.stdout != "1"
+      when: instance_status == "ACTIVE" and single_controller is not defined and galera_cluster_size != "1"
     - include: stop_mysql.yml
       when: instance_status == "ACTIVE"
     - service: name=rabbitmq-server enabled=no state=stopped