diff --git a/tools/gate/playbooks/docker-image-build.yaml b/tools/gate/playbooks/docker-image-build.yaml
index f4074dfd..ded953e0 100644
--- a/tools/gate/playbooks/docker-image-build.yaml
+++ b/tools/gate/playbooks/docker-image-build.yaml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
       environment:
         BRANCH: "{{ zuul.branch }}"
         CHANGE: "{{ zuul.change }}"
-        COMMIT: "{{ zuul.newrev }}"
+        COMMIT: "{{ zuul.newrev | default('') }}"
         PATCHSET: "{{ zuul.patchset }}"
       register: image_tags
 
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
               DOCKER_REGISTRY: "quay.io"
               IMAGE_PREFIX: "airshipit"
               IMAGE_TAG: "{{ item }}"
-              COMMIT: "{{ zuul.newrev }}"
+              COMMIT: "{{ zuul.newrev | default('') }}"
               PUSH_IMAGE: "true"
           with_items: "{{ image_tags.stdout_lines }}"
 
diff --git a/tools/gate/playbooks/docker-image-tag.yaml b/tools/gate/playbooks/docker-image-tag.yaml
index eaa90e49..cf0e456a 100644
--- a/tools/gate/playbooks/docker-image-tag.yaml
+++ b/tools/gate/playbooks/docker-image-tag.yaml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     latest_tag: latest
     org: airshipit
     image: deckhand
-    new_tag: "{{ zuul.newrev }}"
+    new_tag: "{{ zuul.newrev | default('') }}"
     token: "{{ airship_deckhand_quay_creds.token }}"
     quay_repo_api_url: "https://quay.io/api/v1/repository"
   tasks:
diff --git a/tools/gate/roles/build-images/tasks/build-airship-deckhand-image.yaml b/tools/gate/roles/build-images/tasks/build-airship-deckhand-image.yaml
index 5742a971..c12f2356 100644
--- a/tools/gate/roles/build-images/tasks/build-airship-deckhand-image.yaml
+++ b/tools/gate/roles/build-images/tasks/build-airship-deckhand-image.yaml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
       shell: cd "{{ work_dir }}"; pwd
       register: airship_deckhand_path
       vars:
-        work_dir: "{{ zuul.project.src_dir }}/{{ zuul_airship_deckhand_relative_path | default('') }}"
+        work_dir: "{{ zuul.project.src_dir | default('') }}/{{ zuul_airship_deckhand_relative_path | default('') }}"
 
     - name: Build Airship-Deckhand Image
       when: proxy.http is undefined or (proxy.http | trim == "")
diff --git a/tools/gate/roles/deploy-deckhand/tasks/deploy-deckhand.yaml b/tools/gate/roles/deploy-deckhand/tasks/deploy-deckhand.yaml
index f452a749..6ffec4e4 100644
--- a/tools/gate/roles/deploy-deckhand/tasks/deploy-deckhand.yaml
+++ b/tools/gate/roles/deploy-deckhand/tasks/deploy-deckhand.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     docker run \
       --rm \
       --net=host \
-      -v "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}":/etc/deckhand "{{ airship_deckhand_image_id.stdout }}" alembic upgrade head
+      -v "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}":/etc/deckhand "{{ airship_deckhand_image_id.stdout }}" alembic upgrade head
 
     # Allow migrations to complete.
     sleep 10
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
       --rm \
       --net=host \
       -p 9000:9000 \
-      -v "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}":/etc/deckhand "{{ airship_deckhand_image_id.stdout }}" server &
+      -v "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}":/etc/deckhand "{{ airship_deckhand_image_id.stdout }}" server &
 
     # Give the server a chance to come up. Better to poll a health check.
     sleep 10
diff --git a/tools/gate/roles/deploy-postgresql/tasks/deploy-postgresql.yaml b/tools/gate/roles/deploy-postgresql/tasks/deploy-postgresql.yaml
index 9717dbcd..6a3c2285 100644
--- a/tools/gate/roles/deploy-postgresql/tasks/deploy-postgresql.yaml
+++ b/tools/gate/roles/deploy-postgresql/tasks/deploy-postgresql.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
         set -e;
         ./tools/gate/scripts/020-deploy-postgresql.sh
   args:
-    chdir: "{{ zuul.project.src_dir }}"
+    chdir: "{{ zuul.project.src_dir | default('') }}"
   register: _airship_deckhand_database_url
   become: yes
 
@@ -25,4 +25,4 @@
   set_fact:
     airship_deckhand_database_url: "{{ _airship_deckhand_database_url.stdout_lines | last }}"
   environment:
-    AIRSHIP_DECKHAND_DATABASE_URL: "{{ airship_deckhand_database_url }}"
+    AIRSHIP_DECKHAND_DATABASE_URL: "{{ airship_deckhand_database_url | default('') }}"
diff --git a/tools/gate/roles/generate-test-config/tasks/generate-test-config.yaml b/tools/gate/roles/generate-test-config/tasks/generate-test-config.yaml
index 257abb92..ab7b2a62 100644
--- a/tools/gate/roles/generate-test-config/tasks/generate-test-config.yaml
+++ b/tools/gate/roles/generate-test-config/tasks/generate-test-config.yaml
@@ -20,20 +20,20 @@
 
 - name: Store deckhand_conf_dir in variable
   set_fact:
-    deckhand_conf_dir: "{{ _deckhand_conf_dir.path }}"
+    deckhand_conf_dir: "{{ _deckhand_conf_dir.path | default('') }}"
   environment:
     # Used by Deckhand's initialization script to search for config files.
-    AIRSHIP_DECKHAND_CONFIG_DIR: "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"
+    AIRSHIP_DECKHAND_CONFIG_DIR: "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"
 
 - name: Generate test deckhand.conf file when disable_keystone is true
   when: disable_keystone == true
   shell: |-
     set -ex;
 
-    chmod 777 -R "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"
-    conf_file="{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/deckhand.conf
+    chmod 777 -R "{{ deckhand_conf_dir  | default('')}}"
+    conf_file="{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/deckhand.conf
 
-    cp etc/deckhand/logging.conf.sample "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/logging.conf
+    cp etc/deckhand/logging.conf.sample "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/logging.conf
     envsubst '$AIRSHIP_DECKHAND_DATABASE_URL' < deckhand/tests/deckhand.conf.test > $conf_file
 
     echo "Toggling development_mode on to disable Keystone authentication."
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@
     echo $conf_file 1>&2
     cat $conf_file 1>&2
 
-    echo "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/logging.conf 1>&2
-    cat "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/logging.conf 1>&2
+    echo "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/logging.conf 1>&2
+    cat "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/logging.conf 1>&2
   args:
     chdir: "{{ airship_deckhand_path.stdout }}"
   environment:
@@ -55,17 +55,17 @@
   shell: |-
     set -ex;
 
-    chmod 777 -R "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"
-    conf_file="{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/deckhand.conf
+    chmod 777 -R "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"
+    conf_file="{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/deckhand.conf
 
-    cp etc/deckhand/logging.conf.sample "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/logging.conf
+    cp etc/deckhand/logging.conf.sample "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/logging.conf
     envsubst '$AIRSHIP_DECKHAND_DATABASE_URL $TEST_BARBICAN_URL' < deckhand/tests/deckhand.conf.test > $conf_file
 
     echo $conf_file 1>&2
     cat $conf_file 1>&2
 
-    echo "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/logging.conf 1>&2
-    cat "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/logging.conf 1>&2
+    echo "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/logging.conf 1>&2
+    cat "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/logging.conf 1>&2
   args:
     chdir: "{{ airship_deckhand_path.stdout }}"
   environment:
diff --git a/tools/gate/roles/generate-test-config/tasks/generate-test-paste.yaml b/tools/gate/roles/generate-test-config/tasks/generate-test-paste.yaml
index c9206411..059fe452 100644
--- a/tools/gate/roles/generate-test-config/tasks/generate-test-paste.yaml
+++ b/tools/gate/roles/generate-test-config/tasks/generate-test-paste.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
   shell: |-
     set -ex;
     echo "Using noauth-paste.ini to disable Keystone authentication."
-    cp etc/deckhand/noauth-paste.ini "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/noauth-paste.ini
+    cp etc/deckhand/noauth-paste.ini "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/noauth-paste.ini
   args:
     chdir: "{{ airship_deckhand_path.stdout }}"
 
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@
   when: disable_keystone == false
   shell: |-
     set -ex;
-    cp etc/deckhand/deckhand-paste.ini "{{ deckhand_conf_dir }}"/deckhand-paste.ini
+    cp etc/deckhand/deckhand-paste.ini "{{ deckhand_conf_dir | default('') }}"/deckhand-paste.ini
   args:
     chdir: "{{ airship_deckhand_path.stdout }}"