diff --git a/tasks/lock_root.yml b/tasks/lock_root.yml
index 9579cca7461cb97ada79626b4ca7805b6eb25e13..11d939d702163597bd9e842ab2381bb1b05edcf3 100644
--- a/tasks/lock_root.yml
+++ b/tasks/lock_root.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 - name: Disable root account
   user:
     name: root
-    expires: 1.0
+    password: ''
   register: lock_root
   changed_when: not (lock_root.stderr is defined and 'no changes' in lock_root.stderr)