diff --git a/common-tasks/test-force-package-cache-update.yml b/common-tasks/test-force-package-cache-update.yml
index e9bf9473..4b16b4e4 100644
--- a/common-tasks/test-force-package-cache-update.yml
+++ b/common-tasks/test-force-package-cache-update.yml
@@ -20,5 +20,6 @@
   retries: 5
   delay: 2
   until: _update | succeeded
+  changed_when: false
   when:
     - ansible_pkg_mgr == 'apt'
diff --git a/common-tasks/test-set-nodepool-vars.yml b/common-tasks/test-set-nodepool-vars.yml
index 2068d96e..266aced7 100644
--- a/common-tasks/test-set-nodepool-vars.yml
+++ b/common-tasks/test-set-nodepool-vars.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     executable: /bin/bash
   register: lxc_reverse_proxy
   delegate_to: localhost
+  changed_when: false
   when:
     - nodepool.stat.exists | bool
   tags:
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@
     executable: /bin/bash
   register: uca_repo_url
   delegate_to: localhost
+  changed_when: false
   when:
     - ansible_pkg_mgr == 'apt'
     - nodepool.stat.exists | bool
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@
     executable: /bin/bash
   register: centos_mirror_url
   delegate_to: localhost
+  changed_when: false
   when:
     - ansible_pkg_mgr in ['yum', 'dnf']
     - nodepool.stat.exists | bool
@@ -89,6 +92,7 @@
     executable: /bin/bash
   register: _opensuse_mirror
   delegate_to: localhost
+  changed_when: false
   when:
     - ansible_pkg_mgr == 'zypper'
     - nodepool.stat.exists | bool
@@ -126,6 +130,7 @@
     executable: /bin/bash
   register: _pypi_wheel_mirror
   delegate_to: localhost
+  changed_when: false
   when:
     - nodepool.stat.exists | bool
 
diff --git a/test-ansible-functional.sh b/test-ansible-functional.sh
index 74103764..f12c37c6 100755
--- a/test-ansible-functional.sh
+++ b/test-ansible-functional.sh
@@ -135,12 +135,13 @@ if [ "${TEST_IDEMPOTENCE}" == "true" ]; then
   # Execute the test playbook
   execute_ansible_playbook
 
-  # Check the output log for changed/failed tasks
-  if grep -q "changed=0.*failed=0" ${ANSIBLE_LOG_PATH}; then
-    echo "Idempotence test: pass"
-  else
+  # Exit with a failure if we find "changed" or "failed" followed by anything
+  # other than a zero.
+  if grep -qP '(changed|failed)=(?!0)' ${ANSIBLE_LOG_PATH}; then
     echo "Idempotence test: fail"
     exit 1
+  else
+    echo "Idempotence test: pass"
   fi
 
 fi