diff --git a/tasks/file_present.yml b/tasks/file_present.yml
index d7ab54f125f4230462a3ce11c634df111a1766c4..c3a5b979e894454e6418b5a8bcc9def12fa51cbe 100644
--- a/tasks/file_present.yml
+++ b/tasks/file_present.yml
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
             - name: Ansible managed comment present at the top of the file
               ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
                 path: "{{ systemd_file.path }}"
-                line: "{{ ansible_managed | ansible.builtin.comment }}"
+                line: "# {{ systemd_ansible_managed }}"
                 state: present
                 insertbefore: BOF
 
@@ -121,8 +121,7 @@
 
       when: >-
         ( not systemd_file_state.stat.exists | bool ) or
-        ( systemd_file.state is not defined ) or
-        ( systemd_file.state == "templated" )
+        ( systemd_file.state is defined and systemd_file.state == "templated" )
 
     - name: Include flush handlers task
       ansible.builtin.include_tasks: flush_handlers.yml
diff --git a/templates/ansible_managed.j2 b/templates/ansible_managed.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ae8da12714841917f956a6a0b407d81c13346949
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/ansible_managed.j2
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{{- ansible_managed -}}
diff --git a/templates/unit.j2 b/templates/unit.j2
index f96a9ef593f9e3c08fbbee20ee0375a8056d432d..aef74443abdfdc78392c0116e4df2bed7f2faf66 100644
--- a/templates/unit.j2
+++ b/templates/unit.j2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{{ ansible_managed | ansible.builtin.comment }}
+# {{ systemd_ansible_managed }}
 
 {% if systemd_file.comment is defined %}
 # BEGIN ANSIBLE MANAGED BLOCK
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 0117c0469843f15f37d3b7b4a6c849123c71811e..85a04ea187ba0136ab7180f4eb13069bbd71dc6e 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 ---
+# https://jpmens.net/2020/09/29/using-ansible-managed/
+# https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/53627#issuecomment-471562410
+systemd_ansible_managed: "{{ lookup('ansible.builtin.template', './templates/ansible_managed.j2') | trim }}"
 systemd_file_backup: "{{ systemd_file.path | ansible.builtin.dirname }}/.{{ systemd_file.path | ansible.builtin.basename }}.{{ ansible_date_time.iso8601_basic_short }}.bak }}"
 systemd_unit_files_enabled_query: "[?state == 'enabled'].unit_file"
 systemd_unit_names: "{{ systemd_units | community.general.json_query('[*].name') }}"