diff --git a/tasks/preflight-checks.yml b/tasks/preflight-checks.yml
index 77cacd9..0fa5d5d 100644
--- a/tasks/preflight-checks.yml
+++ b/tasks/preflight-checks.yml
@@ -77,17 +77,27 @@
   failed_when: false
   register: vm_id_check
 
-- name: "[PREFLIGHT] Check if VM ID exists in Proxmox cluster"
-  ansible.builtin.command: "pvesh get /cluster/resources --type vm"
+- name: "[PREFLIGHT] Query VM list from cluster"
+  ansible.builtin.command: >
+    pvesh get /cluster/resources
+    --type vm
+    --output-format json
   register: cluster_vms
   changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
 
-- name: "[PREFLIGHT] Determine if VM ID is already used"
-  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-    vm_id_exists: "{{ cluster_vms.stdout | from_json | selectattr('vmid', 'equalto', vm_id) | list | length > 0 }}"
+- name: "[PREFLIGHT] Determine if VM ID exists"
+  set_fact:
+    vm_id_exists: >-
+      {{
+        (cluster_vms.stdout | from_json)
+        | selectattr('vmid', 'equalto', vm_id)
+        | list
+        | length > 0
+      }}
 
-- name: "[PREFLIGHT] Fail if VM ID already exists"
-  ansible.builtin.fail:
+- name: "[PREFLIGHT] Fail if VM ID exists"
+  fail:
     msg: "VM ID {{ vm_id }} already exists in the Proxmox cluster!"
   when: vm_id_exists