diff --git a/library/packaging/apt b/library/packaging/apt
index ea363595297..04d7eb82b9d 100644
--- a/library/packaging/apt
+++ b/library/packaging/apt
@@ -264,8 +264,10 @@ def main():
     except:
         module.fail_json(msg="Could not import python modules: apt, apt_pkg. Please install python-apt package.")
 
-    global APTITUDE_CMD = module.get_bin_path("aptitude", False)
-    global APT_GET_CMD = module.get_bin_path("apt-get")
+    global APTITUDE_CMD
+    APTITUDE_CMD = module.get_bin_path("aptitude", False)
+    global APT_GET_CMD
+    APT_GET_CMD = module.get_bin_path("apt-get")
 
     p = module.params
     install_recommends = p['install_recommends']