diff --git a/roles/network/tasks/squid.yml b/roles/network/tasks/squid.yml
index 4c1c76fbe..e959d43de 100644
--- a/roles/network/tasks/squid.yml
+++ b/roles/network/tasks/squid.yml
@@ -14,11 +14,15 @@
     state: stopped
   when: squid_installed is undefined
 
-- name: Create Squid user:group '{{ proxy_user }}' to own /library/cache
+# 2021-08-17: This stanza is gratuitous on most distros, where the user 'proxy'
+# or 'squid' is preinstalled (typically with UID and GID 13 in /etc/passwd) but
+# let's be sure, as distro internals / favorite distros change without warning.
+- name: Ensure Linux user:group '{{ proxy_user }}:{{ proxy_user }}' exists, to own /library/cache -- and for recent versions of /usr/lib/systemd/system/squid.service that use 'Group=proxy'
   user:
     name: "{{ proxy_user }}"    # proxy (or 'squid' on vars/centos-7.yml, vars/fedora-18.yml, vars/fedora-12.yml)
-    createhome: False
-    shell: /bin/false
+    group: "{{ proxy_user }}"
+    create_home: False
+    shell: /bin/false    # UNIX norm should work across all distros, overriding Debian/Ubuntu norm /usr/sbin/nologin
 
 # 2021-08-16: Squid runs as 'nobody' when started as root:
 # http://www.squid-cache.org/Doc/config/cache_effective_user/