diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
index 740bd94..3d19f63 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
@@ -115,13 +115,22 @@
       ansible.builtin.meta: end_host
       when: (pick_port.stdout | trim | length) == 0
 
-    - name: Record chosen local port and create ControlMaster socket dir
+    - name: Record chosen local port
       delegate_to: localhost
-      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+      set_fact:
         _local_port: "{{ pick_port.stdout | trim }}"
-        _ctrl_dir: "{{ lookup('ansible.builtin.pipe', 'mktemp -d') }}"
+
+    - name: Create ControlMaster socket dir (mktemp)
+      delegate_to: localhost
+      set_fact:
+        _ctrl_dir: "{{ lookup('pipe', 'mktemp -d') }}"
+
+    - name: Compose ControlMaster socket path
+      delegate_to: localhost
+      set_fact:
         _ctrl_sock: "{{ _ctrl_dir }}/ssh_tunnel_ctl"
 
+
     - name: Start SSH ControlMaster and forward 127.0.0.1:local → DEV2:22 via DEV1
       delegate_to: localhost
       ansible.builtin.shell: |