diff --git a/tasks/instance_present.yml b/tasks/instance_present.yml
index 720be22b088f9dd5633f2df51c9d493f033dae0b..0f8ce629279c52bbeefb8906acab7fb1e8a697b0 100644
--- a/tasks/instance_present.yml
+++ b/tasks/instance_present.yml
@@ -193,6 +193,13 @@
           tags:
             - debug
 
+        - name: Fail if valkey_instance_started.status.ActiveState is inactive
+          ansible.builtin.fail:
+            msg:
+              - Valkey is not running, the value of valkey_instance_started follows.
+              - "{{ valkey_instance_started | ansible.builtin.too_nice_yaml }}"
+          when: valkey_instance_started.status.ActiveState == "inactive"
+
         - name: "Valkey restarted for {{ valkey_instance_service }}"  # noqa: no-handler
           ansible.builtin.systemd_service:
             name: "{{ valkey_instance_service }}"