diff --git a/roles/harbor/tasks/main.yml b/roles/harbor/tasks/main.yml
index 7f9804e..6ab5174 100644
--- a/roles/harbor/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/harbor/tasks/main.yml
@@ -52,6 +52,15 @@
   tags:
     - update_config
 
+# work around for DEV-271("container start failure after reboot")
+- name: Ensure systemd file
+  template:
+    src: harbor-systemd.service.j2 
+    dest: /etc/systemd/system/harbor.service
+    owner: root
+    group: root
+    mode: 0755
+
 - name: Ensure config files are populated from from templates/harbor
   copy:
     src: "{{ item.src }}"
@@ -64,16 +73,34 @@
   tags:
     - update_config
 
+
+
+- name: "Check if harbor tarball exists"
+  stat:
+    path: '{{ service_base_path }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}/harbor-offline-installer-{{ harbor_version }}.tgz'
+  register: harbor_tarball
+
+
+
 - name: Download harbor offline installer
   ansible.builtin.get_url:
     url: https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/releases/download/{{ harbor_version }}/harbor-offline-installer-{{ harbor_version }}.tgz
     dest: "{{ service_base_path }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}/harbor-offline-installer-{{ harbor_version }}.tgz"
+  when:
+    - not harbor_tarball.stat.exists
+
+- name: "Check if {{ inventory_hostname }}/harbor/docker-compose.yml exists"
+  stat:
+    path: '{{ service_base_path }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}/harbor/docker-compose.yml'
+  register: harbor_installation
 
 - name: Extract harbor-offline-installer-{{ harbor_version }}.tgz into {{ service_base_path }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}
   ansible.builtin.unarchive:
     src: "{{ service_base_path }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}/harbor-offline-installer-{{ harbor_version }}.tgz"
     dest: "{{ service_base_path }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}"
     remote_src: yes
+  when:
+    - not harbor_installation.stat.exists
 
 - name: "Check if {{ inventory_hostname }}/harbor/docker-compose.yml exists"
   stat:
@@ -82,11 +109,9 @@
   tags:
     - update_deployment
 
-- name: "Stop {{ inventory_hostname }}"
-  shell: docker-compose down
-  args:
-    chdir: '{{ service_base_path }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}/harbor'
-  when: check_docker_compose_file.stat.exists
-  ignore_errors: yes
-  tags:
-    - update_deployment
+- name: "Ensure harbor is running"
+  systemd:
+    name: harbor
+    enabled: yes
+    state: started
+    daemon_reload: yes
diff --git a/roles/harbor/templates/harbor-systemd.service.j2 b/roles/harbor/templates/harbor-systemd.service.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94096b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/harbor/templates/harbor-systemd.service.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# 
+# there is an issue of start order after e.g. rebooting the VM
+# https://github.com/goharbor/harbor/issues/7008
+# work around via adding systemd file
+#
+#
+[Unit]
+Description=Harbor
+After=docker.service systemd-networkd.service systemd-resolved.service
+Requires=docker.service
+Documentation=http://github.com/vmware/harbor
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/docker-compose -f {{ service_base_path }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}/harbor/docker-compose.yml up
+ExecStop=/usr/bin/docker-compose -f {{ service_base_path }}/{{ inventory_hostname }}/harbor/docker-compose.yml down
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target