diff --git a/roles/users/defaults/main.yml b/roles/users/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a81146c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/users/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+users_setup_sysadmin: true
+users_setup_deployment: false   # opt-in: enable explicitly to use
diff --git a/roles/users/tasks/deployment.yml b/roles/users/tasks/deployment.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25c5b40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/users/tasks/deployment.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+- name: Create deployment user for CI/CD
+  ansible.builtin.user:
+    name: deployment
+    shell: /bin/bash
+    create_home: yes
+  become: true
+
+- name: Add SSH public key for deployment user
+  ansible.posix.authorized_key:
+    user: deployment
+    state: present
+    key: "{{ deployment_public_ssh_key }}"
+  become: true
diff --git a/roles/users/tasks/main.yml b/roles/users/tasks/main.yml
index 2d58ad4..d263ea0 100644
--- a/roles/users/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/users/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,42 +1,14 @@
 ---
-- name: Set up primary sysadmin user
-  when: deployment_public_ssh_key is defined
-  become: true
-  block:
-    - name: Create user
-      ansible.builtin.user:
-        name: "{{ sysadmin_user }}"
-        groups: sudo
-        append: yes
-        shell: /bin/bash
-        create_home: yes
+- name: Configure sysadmin user
+  ansible.builtin.import_tasks: sysadmin.yml
+  when: users_setup_sysadmin | bool
 
-    - name: Add SSH public key
-      ansible.posix.authorized_key:
-        user: "{{ sysadmin_user }}"
-        state: present
-        key: "{{ sysadmin_public_ssh_key }}"
+- name: Configure deployment user
+  ansible.builtin.import_tasks: deployment.yml
+  when: users_setup_deployment | bool
 
-    - name: Allow passwordless sudo
-      ansible.builtin.copy:
-        dest: /etc/sudoers.d/sudo-nopasswd
-        content: "%sudo ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL"
-        mode: "0440"
-        validate: /usr/sbin/visudo -cf %s
-
-
-- name: Set up deployment user for CI/CD
-  when: deployment_public_ssh_key is defined
-  become: true
-  block:
-    - name: Create user
-      ansible.builtin.user:
-        name: deployment
-        shell: /bin/bash
-        create_home: yes
-
-    - name: Add SSH public key
-      ansible.posix.authorized_key:
-        user: deployment
-        state: present
-        key: "{{ deployment_public_ssh_key }}"
+# opt in to feature flags / tasks with:
+# roles:
+#   - role: studio.ansible.users
+#     vars:
+#       users_setup_deployment: true
diff --git a/roles/users/tasks/sysadmin.yml b/roles/users/tasks/sysadmin.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59e9a8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/users/tasks/sysadmin.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+- name: Create primary sysadmin user
+  ansible.builtin.user:
+    name: "{{ sysadmin_user }}"
+    groups: sudo
+    append: yes
+    shell: /bin/bash
+    create_home: yes
+  become: true
+
+- name: Add SSH public key for sysadmin
+  ansible.posix.authorized_key:
+    user: "{{ sysadmin_user }}"
+    state: present
+    key: "{{ sysadmin_public_ssh_key }}"
+  become: true
+
+- name: Allow passwordless sudo for sudo group
+  ansible.builtin.copy:
+    dest: /etc/sudoers.d/sudo-nopasswd
+    content: "%sudo ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL"
+    mode: "0440"
+    validate: /usr/sbin/visudo -cf %s
+  become: true