diff --git a/plugins/lookup/guide_role.py b/plugins/lookup/guide_role.py
index c3ef01ef10..54774c2a35 100644
--- a/plugins/lookup/guide_role.py
+++ b/plugins/lookup/guide_role.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from ansible.plugins.lookup import LookupBase
 
 from plugins.lookup.deployment import running_apps
 from utils.roles.validation.invokable import list_invokable_app_ids
+from utils.templating.vars import resolve_var
 
 ENV_VAR = "APP_ID"
 
@@ -60,7 +61,14 @@ class LookupModule(LookupBase):
     ) -> list[str]:
         vars_ = variables or getattr(self._templar, "available_variables", {}) or {}
         application_id = (
-            str(terms[0]) if terms else str(vars_.get("application_id", ""))
+            str(terms[0])
+            if terms
+            else str(
+                resolve_var(
+                    getattr(self, "_templar", None), vars_.get("application_id")
+                )
+                or ""
+            )
         )
         return [
             guide_role(
diff --git a/tests/unit/python/plugins/lookup/test_guide_role.py b/tests/unit/python/plugins/lookup/test_guide_role.py
index 313571345b..28e06fcfc2 100644
--- a/tests/unit/python/plugins/lookup/test_guide_role.py
+++ b/tests/unit/python/plugins/lookup/test_guide_role.py
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ INVOKABLE = ["web-app-docs", "web-app-nextcloud", "svc-db-postgres", "dsk-gnt-cl
 NO_PIN = {ENV_VAR: ""}
 
 
+class _Templar:
+    def __init__(self, resolved):
+        self._resolved = resolved
+
+    def template(self, value):
+        return self._resolved.get(value, value)
+
+
 class TestGuideRole(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_the_only_invokable_peer_wins(self):
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -116,6 +124,23 @@ class TestGuideRoleLookup(unittest.TestCase):
         )
         self.assertEqual(result, ["web-app-docs"])
 
+    @patch.dict(os.environ, NO_PIN)
+    @patch("plugins.lookup.guide_role.list_invokable_app_ids")
+    def test_a_variable_that_is_still_a_template_is_resolved(self, invokable):
+        """The play holds application_id raw, so a role that sets it from
+        another variable would otherwise be compared as '{{ ... }}'."""
+        invokable.return_value = INVOKABLE
+        lookup = LookupModule()
+        lookup._templar = _Templar({"{{ stack_app }}": "web-app-docs"})
+        result = lookup.run(
+            [],
+            variables={
+                "application_id": "{{ stack_app }}",
+                "group_names": ["web-app-docs", "web-app-nextcloud"],
+            },
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(result, ["web-app-nextcloud"])
+
     @patch.dict(os.environ, {ENV_VAR: "  dsk-gnt-claude  "})
     @patch("plugins.lookup.guide_role.list_invokable_app_ids")
     def test_the_environment_pins_the_role(self, invokable):