diff --git a/public_html/deployment/plugins/rollout/awx/rollout_awx.php b/public_html/deployment/plugins/rollout/awx/rollout_awx.php
index f6e39e87261a96feaefeb9d4ca35abb49de2aaa7..6a2c17904f4239ee8f5f0758381a42a0cac39f62 100644
--- a/public_html/deployment/plugins/rollout/awx/rollout_awx.php
+++ b/public_html/deployment/plugins/rollout/awx/rollout_awx.php
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ class rollout_awx extends rollout_base {
             if (!$aTmp || !count($aTmp) ){
                 $aReturn[]='echo "ERROR: Value in extravars has wrong Syntax - this is no JSON: '.$aConfig['extravars'].'"';                
             }
-            $aConfig['extravars']=json_decode($aTmp, 1);
+            $aConfig['extravars']=json_encode($aTmp);
         }
         
         if(!(int)$aConfig['inventory']){