diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
index d9bff13..a200bc4 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
@@ -429,7 +429,6 @@
           payload_encoding: "string"
       changed_when: false
 
-    # ----------------------- Dev1 SSID count (strict then fallback) -----------------------
     # ----------------------- Dev1 SSID count (strict then fallback) -----------------------
     - name: Dev1 | Count SSID lines (strict 'ssid' + 'ikeja')
       delegate_to: localhost
@@ -445,12 +444,17 @@
     - name: Dev1 | Normalize strict SSID count
       delegate_to: localhost
       set_fact:
-        ssid_strict_count: "{{ (ssid_strict_count_raw.stdout | default('0')) | trim | int }}"
+        # Keep as text; we’ll cast with | int when using it
+        ssid_strict_count: "{{ (ssid_strict_count_raw.stdout | default('0')) | trim }}"
 
     - name: Dev1 | Decide if strict count usable
       delegate_to: localhost
       set_fact:
-        ssid_strict_ok: "{{ ssid_strict_count > 0 and (ssid_strict_count % 2 == 0) }}"
+        ssid_strict_ok: >-
+          {{
+            (ssid_strict_count | int) > 0
+            and ((ssid_strict_count | int) % 2 == 0)
+          }}
 
     - name: Dev1 | Count SSID lines (fallback exclude bssid/auto_ssid/SC/backhaul)
       when: not ssid_strict_ok | default(false)
@@ -468,7 +472,8 @@
       when: not ssid_strict_ok | default(false)
       delegate_to: localhost
       set_fact:
-        ssid_fallback_count: "{{ (ssid_fallback_count_raw.stdout | default('0')) | trim | int }}"
+        # Also keep as text
+        ssid_fallback_count: "{{ (ssid_fallback_count_raw.stdout | default('0')) | trim }}"
 
     - name: Dev1 | Compute final SSID count
       delegate_to: localhost
@@ -477,8 +482,8 @@
           {{
             (ssid_strict_ok | default(false))
             | ternary(
-                (ssid_strict_count | default(0)) // 2,
-                (ssid_fallback_count | default(0)) // 2
+                (ssid_strict_count | default('0') | int) // 2,
+                (ssid_fallback_count | default('0') | int) // 2
               )
           }}