diff --git a/roles/nginx/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/nginx/tasks/main.yaml
index 2b1c3f5..820a99e 100644
--- a/roles/nginx/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/nginx/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -81,14 +81,15 @@
     src: site.j2
     dest: "/etc/nginx/sites-available/{{ item.server.file_name }}"
   with_items: "{{ nginx_sites }}"
-
+  when: nginx_sites is defined and nginx_sites
+  
 - name: enable nginx configurations used for letsencrypt challenge
   file:
     path: "/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/{{ item.server.file_name }}"
     state: link
     src: "/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/{{ item.server.file_name }}"
   with_items: "{{ nginx_sites }}"
-  when: letsencrypt|bool and item.use_for_challenge is defined and item.use_for_challenge|bool
+  when: letsencrypt|bool and item.use_for_challenge is defined and item.use_for_challenge|bool and nginx_sites is defined and nginx_sites
 
 - name: restart nginx to start enabled configurations used for letsencrypt
   service:
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@
 - name: provision ssl cert/key(s) with letsencrypt
   include: letsencrypt.yml
   with_items: "{{ nginx_sites }}"
-  when: letsencrypt|bool and item.letsencrypt is defined
+  when: letsencrypt|bool and item.letsencrypt is defined and nginx_sites is defined and nginx_sites
 
 - name: enable nginx configuration generated from standard template
   file: