diff --git a/roles/ferm-configure/handlers/main.yml b/roles/ferm-configure/handlers/main.yml
index 1b086e5b1c6843df7a5f20ad5b6add6e1e9cde76..1df71e19ab322054f7a1de2cf01b075a5a4749a8 100644
--- a/roles/ferm-configure/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/roles/ferm-configure/handlers/main.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ---
 
 - name: reload ferm
+  when: ansible_facts.services['ferm.service'] is defined
   systemd:
     name: ferm
     state: reloaded
diff --git a/roles/ferm-configure/tasks/main.yml b/roles/ferm-configure/tasks/main.yml
index 8d9a916f45260f0813a362e5d9b58ff03061dc27..dd492be8e805d403ad38566f2a09817aadd9c852 100644
--- a/roles/ferm-configure/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/ferm-configure/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 ---
 
+- name: populate service facts
+  service_facts:
+
+- debug:
+    var: ansible_facts.services
+
 - name: directories
   loop:
     - /etc/ferm/ferm.d