diff --git a/tasks/backups.yml b/tasks/backups.yml
index 9f6670c8f0015e1f4215062f65721781dc9ee8fb..bf5e7cfc815aa4596c764730fe9fe84dbf579d57 100644
--- a/tasks/backups.yml
+++ b/tasks/backups.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 - name: add gitlab-tar backup cronjob
   cron:
     name: gitlab-tar backup
-    job: 'umask 0077; /bin/tar -czf {{ gitlab.backup.path }}/$(date "+etc-gitlab-%s.tgz") -C / etc/gitlab'
+    job: 'umask 0077; /bin/tar -czf {{ gitlab.backup.path }}/$(date "+etc-gitlab-\%s.tgz") -C / etc/gitlab'
     special_time: daily
 - name: add gitlab backup cleanup job
   cron: