diff --git a/tasks/configure_ssh_keys.yml b/tasks/configure_ssh_keys.yml
index 6ba5d95122f0f0e7bea669fcbcb7f1563324dc24..f094f5eb593b845590bc20b07d00c801719511fe 100644
--- a/tasks/configure_ssh_keys.yml
+++ b/tasks/configure_ssh_keys.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 - name: deploy SSH key for management user
   ansible.builtin.authorized_key:
     user: "{{ item.user }}"
-    state: present
+    state: "{{ item.state | default('present') }}"
     key: "{{ item.ssh_key }}"
     comment: "{{ item.ssh_comment }}"
   loop: "{{ vault_ssh_access }}"
diff --git a/tasks/create_users_groups.yml b/tasks/create_users_groups.yml
index 71218d062b4e5591b640d31636987d14188203d6..ca7e3575acf29ada9710bb3f196b929112426d27 100644
--- a/tasks/create_users_groups.yml
+++ b/tasks/create_users_groups.yml
@@ -16,4 +16,5 @@
     generate_ssh_key: "{{ item.generate_ssh_key | default(false) }}"
     ssh_key_bits: "{{ item.ssh_key_bits | default(omit) }}"
     ssh_key_comment: "{{ item.ssh_key_comment | default(omit) }}"
+    state: "{{ item.state | default('present') }}"
   loop: "{{ vault_users }}"