diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-upgradecmd.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-upgradecmd.yml
index 7c350c5..e8ac095 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-upgradecmd.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-upgradecmd.yml
@@ -101,25 +101,22 @@
           - "upgrade_cmd line (exact): {{ nb_upgrade_line | default('<not found>') }}"
           - "found? {{ (nb_upgrade_line | length) > 0 }}"
 
-    - name: "NB preflight | Parse value after '=' from upgrade_cmd line"
+    - name: "NB preflight | Parse value after '=' (split once)"
       when: nb_upgrade_line | length > 0
       delegate_to: localhost
-      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-        nb_upgrade_cmd: >-
-          {{
-            nb_upgrade_line
-            | regex_replace('^NB:\\s*upgrade_cmd\\s*=\\s*', '')
-            | trim
-          }}
-        nb_upgrade_cmd_len: "{{ (nb_upgrade_line | regex_search('=\\s*(.*)$', '\\1') | trim) | length }}"
+      vars:
+        parts: "{{ nb_upgrade_line.split('=', 1) }}"
+      set_fact:
+        nb_upgrade_cmd: "{{ (parts | length > 1) | ternary(parts[1] | trim, '') }}"
+        nb_upgrade_cmd_len: "{{ nb_upgrade_cmd | length }}"
 
-    - name: "NB preflight | Debug parsed upgrade_cmd"
+    - name: "NB preflight | Debug parsed upgrade_cmd (should be just the value)"
       when: nb_upgrade_line | length > 0
       delegate_to: localhost
-      ansible.builtin.debug:
+      debug:
         msg:
-          - "upgrade_cmd value: '{{ nb_upgrade_cmd | default('') }}'"
-          - "len={{ nb_upgrade_cmd_len | default(0) }}"
+          - "upgrade_cmd value: '{{ nb_upgrade_cmd }}'"
+          - "len={{ nb_upgrade_cmd_len }}"
 
     - name: "NB preflight | STOP here (temporary)"
       meta: end_play