diff --git a/roles/remove-node/post-remove/tasks/main.yml b/roles/remove-node/post-remove/tasks/main.yml
index 46c50c1c3..6cf578e5f 100644
--- a/roles/remove-node/post-remove/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/remove-node/post-remove/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 ---
 - name: Remove-node | Delete node
-  command: "{{ kubectl }} delete node {{ kube_override_hostname | default(inventory_hostname) }}"
+  command: "{{ kubectl }} delete node {{ kube_override_hostname }}"
   delegate_to: "{{ groups['kube_control_plane'] | first }}"
   when:
     - groups['kube_control_plane'] | length > 0
     # ignore servers that are not nodes
-    - ('k8s_cluster' in group_names) and kube_override_hostname | default(inventory_hostname) in nodes.stdout_lines
+    - ('k8s_cluster' in group_names) and kube_override_hostname in nodes.stdout_lines
   retries: "{{ delete_node_retries }}"
   # Sometimes the api-server can have a short window of indisponibility when we delete a control plane node
   delay: "{{ delete_node_delay_seconds }}"
diff --git a/roles/remove_node/pre_remove/tasks/main.yml b/roles/remove_node/pre_remove/tasks/main.yml
index 6f6c31461..de4adcb29 100644
--- a/roles/remove_node/pre_remove/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/remove_node/pre_remove/tasks/main.yml
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@
       --ignore-daemonsets
       --grace-period {{ drain_grace_period }}
       --timeout {{ drain_timeout }}
-      --delete-emptydir-data {{ kube_override_hostname | default(inventory_hostname) }}
+      --delete-emptydir-data {{ kube_override_hostname }}
   when:
     - groups['kube_control_plane'] | length > 0
     # ignore servers that are not nodes
-    - kube_override_hostname | default(inventory_hostname) in nodes.stdout_lines
+    - kube_override_hostname in nodes.stdout_lines
   register: result
   failed_when: result.rc != 0 and not allow_ungraceful_removal
   delegate_to: "{{ groups['kube_control_plane'] | first }}"
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@
   register: nodes_with_volumes
   delegate_to: "{{ groups['kube_control_plane'] | first }}"
   changed_when: false
-  until: not (kube_override_hostname | default(inventory_hostname) in nodes_with_volumes.stdout_lines)
+  until: not (kube_override_hostname in nodes_with_volumes.stdout_lines)
   retries: 3
   delay: "{{ drain_grace_period }}"
   when:
     - groups['kube_control_plane'] | length > 0
     - not allow_ungraceful_removal
-    - kube_override_hostname | default(inventory_hostname) in nodes.stdout_lines
+    - kube_override_hostname in nodes.stdout_lines