diff --git a/deploy/buildtools/buildafi.py b/deploy/buildtools/buildafi.py
index c092993a..104ecaab 100644
--- a/deploy/buildtools/buildafi.py
+++ b/deploy/buildtools/buildafi.py
@@ -104,13 +104,13 @@ def aws_build(global_build_config, bypass=False):
         rsync_cap = rsync_project(local_dir=ddir + "/../platforms/f1/aws-fpga",
                       remote_dir='/home/centos/firesim-build/platforms/f1/',
                       ssh_opts="-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no",
-                      exclude="hdk/cl/developer_designs/cl_*",
+                      exclude=["hdk/cl/developer_designs/cl_*"],
                       extra_opts="-l", capture=True)
         rootLogger.debug(rsync_cap)
         rootLogger.debug(rsync_cap.stderr)
         rsync_cap = rsync_project(local_dir=ddir + "/../platforms/f1/aws-fpga/{}/*".format(fpgabuilddir),
                       remote_dir='/home/centos/firesim-build/platforms/f1/aws-fpga/' + remotefpgabuilddir,
-                      exclude='build/checkpoints',
+                      exclude=['build/checkpoints'],
                       ssh_opts="-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no",
                       extra_opts="-l", capture=True)
         rootLogger.debug(rsync_cap)