diff --git a/roles/osm-vector-maps/tasks/install.yml b/roles/osm-vector-maps/tasks/install.yml
index 849c42017..8b660ae92 100644
--- a/roles/osm-vector-maps/tasks/install.yml
+++ b/roles/osm-vector-maps/tasks/install.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@
     url: "{{ iiab_map_url }}/assets/regions.json"    # http://download.iiab.io/content/OSM/vector-tiles/maplist/hidden
     dest: "{{ vector_map_path }}/maplist/assets/"    # /library/www/osm-vector-maps
 
+# handle case where a dummy file is already here and would break the symlink step that follows
+- name: Remove {{ doc_root }}/common/assets/regions.json
+  file:
+    dest: "{{ doc_root }}/common/assets/regions.json"    # /library/www/html
+    state: absent
+
 - name: Symlink catalog {{ doc_root }}/common/assets/regions.json -> {{ vector_map_path }}/maplist/assets/regions.json
   file:
     src: "{{ vector_map_path }}/maplist/assets/regions.json"    # /library/www/osm-vector-maps