diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 6117b0a02..ea3695743 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -9,27 +9,16 @@ skipsdist = True
 [purge]
 commands=
   cp {toxinidir}/infrastructure-playbooks/purge-cluster.yml {toxinidir}/purge-cluster.yml
-  ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/purge-cluster.yml -e ireallymeanit=yes --extra-vars '\
-    \{\
-     "fetch_directory":"{env:FETCH_DIRECTORY:{changedir}/fetch}",\
-     "ceph_rhcs":{env:CEPH_RHCS:false},\
-     "ceph_origin":"{env:CEPH_ORIGIN:upstream}",\
-     "ceph_dev":{env:CEPH_DEV:false},\
-     "ceph_dev_branch":"{env:CEPH_DEV_BRANCH:master}",\
-     "ceph_dev_sha1":"{env:CEPH_DEV_SHA1:latest}",\
-     "ceph_stable_release":"{env:CEPH_STABLE_RELEASE:jewel}",\
-    \}'
+  ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/purge-cluster.yml --extra-vars "\
+      ireallymeanit=yes \
+      ceph_stable_release={env:CEPH_STABLE_RELEASE:jewel} \
+      fetch_directory={env:FETCH_DIRECTORY:{changedir}/fetch} \
+  "
   # set up the cluster again
-  ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/site.yml.sample --extra-vars '\
-    \{\
-     "fetch_directory":"{env:FETCH_DIRECTORY:{changedir}/fetch}",\
-     "ceph_rhcs":{env:CEPH_RHCS:false},\
-     "ceph_origin":"{env:CEPH_ORIGIN:upstream}",\
-     "ceph_dev":{env:CEPH_DEV:false},\
-     "ceph_dev_branch":"{env:CEPH_DEV_BRANCH:master}",\
-     "ceph_dev_sha1":"{env:CEPH_DEV_SHA1:latest}",\
-     "ceph_stable_release":"{env:CEPH_STABLE_RELEASE:jewel}",\
-    \}'
+  ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/site.yml.sample --extra-vars "\
+      ceph_stable_release={env:CEPH_STABLE_RELEASE:jewel} \
+      fetch_directory={env:FETCH_DIRECTORY:{changedir}/fetch} \
+  "
   # test that the cluster can be redeployed in a healthy state
   testinfra -n 4 --sudo -v --connection=ansible --ansible-inventory={changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/tests/functional/tests
 
@@ -39,16 +28,11 @@ commands=
 [update]
 commands=
   cp {toxinidir}/infrastructure-playbooks/rolling_update.yml {toxinidir}/rolling_update.yml
-  ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/rolling_update.yml -e ireallymeanit=yes --extra-vars '\
-    \{\
-      "fetch_directory":"{env:FETCH_DIRECTORY:{changedir}/fetch}",\
-      "ceph_rhcs":{env:CEPH_RHCS:false},\
-      "ceph_origin":"{env:CEPH_ORIGIN:upstream}",\
-      "ceph_dev":{env:CEPH_DEV:false},\
-      "ceph_dev_branch":"{env:UPDATE_CEPH_DEV_BRANCH:master}",\
-      "ceph_dev_sha1":"{env:UPDATE_CEPH_DEV_SHA1:latest}",\
-      "ceph_stable_release":"{env:UPDATE_CEPH_STABLE_RELEASE:kraken}",\
-    \}'
+  ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/rolling_update.yml --extra-vars "\
+      ireallymeanit=yes \
+      ceph_stable_release={env:UPDATE_CEPH_STABLE_RELEASE:kraken} \
+      fetch_directory={env:FETCH_DIRECTORY:{changedir}/fetch} \
+  "
 
   testinfra -n 4 --sudo -v --connection=ansible --ansible-inventory={changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/tests/functional/tests
 
@@ -106,19 +90,13 @@ commands=
 
   rhcs: ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/tests/functional/rhcs_setup.yml --extra-vars "repo_url={env:REPO_URL:} rhel7_repo_url={env:RHEL7_REPO_URL:}" --skip-tags "vagrant_setup"
 
-  ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/{env:PLAYBOOK:site.yml.sample} --extra-vars '\
-    \{\
-     "fetch_directory":"{env:FETCH_DIRECTORY:{changedir}/fetch}",\
-     "ceph_rhcs":{env:CEPH_RHCS:false},\
-     "ceph_origin":"{env:CEPH_ORIGIN:upstream}",\
-     "ceph_dev":{env:CEPH_DEV:false},\
-     "ceph_dev_branch":"{env:CEPH_DEV_BRANCH:master}",\
-     "ceph_dev_sha1":"{env:CEPH_DEV_SHA1:latest}",\
-     "ceph_stable_release":"{env:CEPH_STABLE_RELEASE:jewel}",\
-     "ceph_docker_registry":"{env:CEPH_DOCKER_REGISTRY:docker.io}",\
-     "ceph_docker_image":"{env:CEPH_DOCKER_IMAGE:ceph/daemon}",\
-     "ceph_docker_image_tag":"{env:CEPH_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG:latest}"\
-    \}'
+  ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/{env:PLAYBOOK:site.yml.sample} --extra-vars "\
+      fetch_directory={env:FETCH_DIRECTORY:{changedir}/fetch} \
+      ceph_stable_release={env:CEPH_STABLE_RELEASE:jewel} \
+      ceph_docker_registry={env:CEPH_DOCKER_REGISTRY:docker.io} \
+      ceph_docker_image={env:CEPH_DOCKER_IMAGE:ceph/daemon} \
+      ceph_docker_image_tag={env:CEPH_DOCKER_IMAGE_TAG:latest} \
+  "
 
   ansible-playbook -vv -i {changedir}/hosts {toxinidir}/tests/functional/setup.yml