# Problem with computed ansible\_host and delegate\_to **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Created:** [March 16, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-with-computed-ansible-host-and-delegate-to/45535 "2026-03-16T13:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mwilck](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mwilck/32/10470_2.png) [@mwilck](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mwilck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-with-computed-ansible-host-and-delegate-to/45535/1 "2026-03-16T13:00:36Z")
I recently added a table of host names mapped to IP addresses to my environment, because I needed this anyway to configure my DHCP server. I thought it was a nice idea to use this table as the Source of Truth™ for my playbooks. I introduced a variable expression for `ansible_host` which would look up the IP address in this table. This seemed to work nicely … until I started using `delegate_to`. Here’s a test: ### inventory.yml ```auto all: hosts: zeus: # ansible_host: 192.168.1.20 ansible_ssh_user: martin ananas: # ansible_host: 192.168.1.167 ansible_ssh_user: p464v2 vars: ip_addrs: zeus: 192.168.1.20 ananas: 192.168.1.167 ansible_host: "{{ ip_addrs[inventory_hostname] }}" ``` ### delegate-test.yml ```auto - name: Test delegate_to with computed ansible_host hosts: zeus,ananas gather_facts: true become: false tasks: - name: Print host and user debug: msg: "Host: {{ ansible_host }}, User: {{ ansible_ssh_user }}" - name: Print host and user with delegate_to debug: msg: "Host: {{ ansible_host }}, User: {{ ansible_ssh_user }}" delegate_to: ananas when: inventory_hostname == 'zeus' - name: Check connectivity ping: - name: Check connectivity with delegate_to ping: delegate_to: ananas when: inventory_hostname == 'zeus' ``` The output of this playbook is: ```auto > ansible-playbook -i inventory.yml delegate-test.yml PLAY [Test delegate] ******************************************************************************************************** TASK [Gathering Facts] ****************************************************************************************************** ok: [zeus] ok: [ananas] TASK [Print host and user] ************************************************************************************************** ok: [zeus] => { "msg": "Host: 192.168.1.20, User: martin" } ok: [ananas] => { "msg": "Host: 192.168.1.167, User: p464v2" } TASK [Print host and user with delegate_to] ********************************************************************************* ok: [zeus -> ananas({{ ip_addrs[inventory_hostname] }})] => { "msg": "Host: 192.168.1.20, User: martin" } skipping: [ananas] TASK [Check connectivity] *************************************************************************************************** ok: [zeus] ok: [ananas] TASK [Check connectivity with delegate_to] ********************************************************************************** skipping: [ananas] fatal: [zeus -> ananas]: UNREACHABLE! => {"changed": false, "msg": "Failed to connect to the host via ssh: Received disconnect from 192.168.1.20 port 22:2: Too many authentication failures\r\nDisconnected from 192.168.1.20 port 22", "unreachable": true} PLAY RECAP ****************************************************************************************************************** ananas : ok=3 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=2 rescued=0 ignored=0 zeus : ok=4 changed=0 unreachable=1 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0 ``` In the last task with `delegate_to`, ansible is using the IP address of host `zeus` when connecting to `ananas`. If I uncomment the constant expressions for `ansible_host` in the `inventory.yml` file, the playbook succeeds. Is this a bug? Or is it generally not supported to use a variable for `ansible_host`? ---
**Author:** ![bcoca](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/bcoca/32/9269_2.png) [@bcoca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/bcoca)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-with-computed-ansible-host-and-delegate-to/45535/2 "2026-03-16T16:08:42Z")
`inventory_hostname` ALWAYS reflects the task’s original host, the next best thing is `inventory_hostname_short`, which does reflect the ‘delegated host’. ---
**Author:** ![mwilck](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mwilck/32/10470_2.png) [@mwilck](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mwilck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-with-computed-ansible-host-and-delegate-to/45535/3 "2026-03-16T16:38:37Z")
Wow, and that’s even documented. Thanks a lot!! ---
**Author:** ![bcoca](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/bcoca/32/9269_2.png) [@bcoca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/bcoca)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 5:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-with-computed-ansible-host-and-delegate-to/45535/4 "2026-03-16T17:18:14Z")
Yep, I had to write it down, cause asking me does not scale. ---
**Author:** ![mwilck](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/mwilck/32/10470_2.png) [@mwilck](https://forum.ansible.com/u/mwilck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 6:02pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-with-computed-ansible-host-and-delegate-to/45535/5 "2026-03-16T18:02:49Z")
Sorry for not having found it in the docs, and thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/original/1X/1882d9a01da5d8996a862359b0913cc568a39b84.svg) [@system](https://forum.ansible.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/problem-with-computed-ansible-host-and-delegate-to/45535/6 "2026-04-15T18:03:38Z")
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