diff --git a/roles/mysql/tasks/main.yml b/roles/mysql/tasks/main.yml
index 7f117b6be..85518e106 100644
--- a/roles/mysql/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/mysql/tasks/main.yml
@@ -106,11 +106,13 @@
     path: /etc/systemd/system/mariadb.service
     insertafter: '^\[Service\]$'
     regexp: "^TimeoutStartSec="
-    line: "TimeoutStartSec=180"
-    # LINE BELOW WOULD BE NICE...BUT ANSIBLE POLLUTES EACH TIME :(
-    # Hence Ansible's 'blockinfile', but this pollutes config files in its own
-    # way.  Still, it might be nec in future, so config files are *READABLE* !
-    #line: "\n# 2019-07-03: @jvonau @holta doubled the default boot timeout from 90s to 180s\n# for slow machines like this Ubuntu 18.04.2 VM:\n# https://github.com/iiab/iiab/issues/1802\n# https://mariadb.com/kb/en/library/what-to-do-if-mariadb-doesnt-start/#systemd\nTimeoutStartSec=180"
+    line: "\n# 2019-07-03: @jvonau @holta doubled MariaDB's default boot timeout 90s to 180s\n# for slow machines like this Ubuntu 18.04.2 VM:\n# https://github.com/iiab/iiab/issues/1802\n# https://mariadb.com/kb/en/library/what-to-do-if-mariadb-doesnt-start/#systemd\nTimeoutStartSec=180\n"
+    # If the line above were to be run repeatedly (never happens here!) Ansible
+    # would pollute MariaDB's systemd unit file.  As multi-line regexp's are
+    # not allowed (both regexp's should match, for idempotency).  If nec, use
+    # the 1-liner below, or Ansible's 'blockinfile' which pollutes config files
+    # in its own way...surrounding blocks with marker lines.
+    # line: "TimeoutStartSec=180"
   when: mariadb_unit_file.stat.exists