diff --git a/roles/nginx/tasks/install.yml b/roles/nginx/tasks/install.yml
index 3d6c23bfb..23d8fd2f4 100644
--- a/roles/nginx/tasks/install.yml
+++ b/roles/nginx/tasks/install.yml
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     src: "/etc/php/{{ php_version }}/mods-available/stem.ini"
     path: "/etc/php/{{ php_version }}/fpm/conf.d/20-stem.ini"
     state: link
+  when: php_version != "7.4"
   #when: nginx_enabled | bool
 
 - name: Restart php{{ php_version }}-fpm systemd service
diff --git a/roles/www_base/tasks/main.yml b/roles/www_base/tasks/main.yml
index 893e2f392..3756d9541 100644
--- a/roles/www_base/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/www_base/tasks/main.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 
 
 - include_tasks: html.yml
+
 - include_tasks: php-stem.yml
+  when: php_version != "7.4"
 
 - name: Create dir {{ doc_root }}/home -- if you customized var iiab_home_url e.g. in /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml, that dir is created later -- by www_options/tasks/main.yml
   file:
diff --git a/vars/ubuntu-20.yml b/vars/ubuntu-20.yml
index ab0bd9602..de8990863 100644
--- a/vars/ubuntu-20.yml
+++ b/vars/ubuntu-20.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ mysql_service: mariadb
 apache_log: /var/log/apache2/access.log
 sshd_package: openssh-server
 sshd_service: ssh
-php_version: 7.3    # 7.4 might be nec for Ubuntu 20.04 later?
+php_version: 7.4
 # "postgresql_version: 11.2" failed (too detailed for /etc/systemd/system/postgresql-iiab.service on Ubuntu 19.04)
 postgresql_version: 12
 systemd_location: /lib/systemd/system