diff --git a/plugins/modules/cronvar.py b/plugins/modules/cronvar.py
index 804292a908..a59f58023b 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/cronvar.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/cronvar.py
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class CronVar(object):
                 self.cron_file = os.path.join('/etc/cron.d', cron_file)
             parent_dir = os.path.dirname(self.cron_file)
             if not os.path.isdir(parent_dir):
-                module.fail_json(msg=f"Parent directory '{parent_dir}' does not exist for cron_file: '{cron_file}'")
+                module.fail_json(msg="Parent directory '{}' does not exist for cron_file: '{}'".format(parent_dir, cron_file))
         else:
             self.cron_file = None
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/cronvar/tasks/main.yml b/tests/integration/targets/cronvar/tasks/main.yml
index 4770b093c3..7cf9602955 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/cronvar/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/cronvar/tasks/main.yml
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
   cronvar:
     name: NOPARENT_VAR
     value: noparentval
-    cron_file:  /nonexistent/foo
+    cron_file: /nonexistent/foo
     user: root
   register: invalid_directory_cronvar_result
   ignore_errors: true