diff --git a/tasks/fail2ban.yml b/tasks/fail2ban.yml
index 640b754..913127d 100644
--- a/tasks/fail2ban.yml
+++ b/tasks/fail2ban.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
     group: root
     mode: 0444
   notify: systemctl restart fail2ban
+  when: "'fail2ban' in ansible_facts.packages"
 
 - name: Install fail2ban jail
   become: true
@@ -18,3 +19,10 @@
     group: root
     mode: 0444
   notify: systemctl restart fail2ban
+  when: "'fail2ban' in ansible_facts.packages"
+
+- name: warn if fail2ban is not installed
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: "the package fail2ban is not installed. no fail2ban filters deployed."
+  when: "'fail2ban' not in ansible_facts.packages"
+  ignore_errors: true
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index e0c49ba..461d49d 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
   ansible.builtin.include_tasks: versioncheck.yml
   when: submodules_versioncheck|bool
 
+- name: Gather installed packages for checks later on
+  ansible.builtin.package_facts:
+    manager: auto
+
 - name: Gather variables for each operating system
   ansible.builtin.include_vars: "{{ lookup('first_found', gitea_variables) }}"
 
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 1cdd648..c38f978 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -20,5 +20,5 @@ gitea_variables:
   paths:
     - 'vars'
 
-playbook_version_number: 8  # should be int
+playbook_version_number: 9  # should be int
 playbook_version_path: 'do1jlr.gitea.version'