diff --git a/playbooks/roles/octavia-controller-config/tasks/certificate.yml b/playbooks/roles/octavia-controller-config/tasks/certificate.yml
index c1b8626c0..1ac0fe313 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/octavia-controller-config/tasks/certificate.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/octavia-controller-config/tasks/certificate.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
       selevel: s0
       setype: svirt_sandbox_file_t
     become: true
-  - name: Copying key info to octavia
+  - name: Copying key info to octaviai if not already there
     become: true
     copy:
       content: "{{ item.content }}"
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/octavia-controller-config/tasks/main.yml b/playbooks/roles/octavia-controller-config/tasks/main.yml
index 94db72f8a..93fa8cd97 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/octavia-controller-config/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/octavia-controller-config/tasks/main.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@
   - set_fact:
       node_hostname: "{{ hostname.stdout }}"
   - include_tasks: certificate.yml
-    when: generate_certs
+    when:
+      - private_key_content|length > 0
+      - ca_cert_content|length > 0
+      - service_pem_content|length > 0
   - include_tasks: netport.yml
   - include_tasks: netinterface.yml
   - name: making sure octavia common configuration directory exists