diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
index b69b16a..788a9b3 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater.yml
@@ -408,6 +408,15 @@
       failed_when: false
       ignore_errors: true
 
+    - name: Debug nc_probe
+      delegate_to: localhost
+      debug:
+        msg:
+          - "nc_probe.rc={{ nc_probe.rc | default('n/a') }}"
+          - "nc_probe.stdout={{ nc_probe.stdout | default('') | trim }}"
+          - "nc_probe.stderr={{ nc_probe.stderr | default('') | trim }}"
+
+
     - name: Set tunnel_ok
       delegate_to: localhost
       set_fact:
@@ -959,7 +968,14 @@
     - name: Set dev2_passfile_used
       delegate_to: localhost
       set_fact:
-        dev2_passfile_used: "{{ (dev2_auth.rc == 0)|ternary(dev2_auth.stdout|trim,'NONE') }}"
+        dev2_passfile_used: >-
+          {{
+            (
+              (dev2_auth is defined)
+              and ((dev2_auth.rc | default(1)) == 0)
+            )
+            | ternary((dev2_auth.stdout | default('') | trim), 'NONE')
+          }}
 
     - name: Dev2 | Auth debug
       delegate_to: localhost