diff --git a/tests/ansible/integration/action/synchronize.yml b/tests/ansible/integration/action/synchronize.yml
index f9a8cb2c..2672b08e 100644
--- a/tests/ansible/integration/action/synchronize.yml
+++ b/tests/ansible/integration/action/synchronize.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,22 @@
 - name: integration/action/synchronize.yml
   hosts: test-targets
   any_errors_fatal: true
+  vars:
+    ansible_user: mitogen__has_sudo_pubkey
+    ansible_ssh_private_key_file: /tmp/synchronize-action-key
   tasks:
+    # must copy git file to set proper file mode.
+    - copy:
+        dest: /tmp/synchronize-action-key
+        src: ../../../data/docker/mitogen__has_sudo_pubkey.key
+        mode: u=rw,go=
+      connection: local
+
+    - file:
+        path: /tmp/sync-test
+        state: absent
+      connection: local
+
     - file:
         path: /tmp/sync-test
         state: directory
@@ -14,12 +29,17 @@
         content: "item!"
       connection: local
 
+    - file:
+        path: /tmp/sync-test.out
+        state: absent
+
     - synchronize:
-        dest: /tmp/sync-test
-        src: /tmp/sync-test
+        private_key: /tmp/synchronize-action-key
+        dest: /tmp/sync-test.out
+        src: /tmp/sync-test/
 
     - slurp:
-        src: /tmp/sync-test/item
+        src: /tmp/sync-test.out/item
       register: out
 
     - set_fact: outout="{{out.content|b64decode}}"