diff --git a/ansible/roles/woodpecker-agent/handlers/main.yml b/ansible/roles/woodpecker-agent/handlers/main.yml
index 8d8f3494..9e56b340 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/woodpecker-agent/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/woodpecker-agent/handlers/main.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 ---
+# Deferred + detached: restarting Docker here would kill this very CI job's
+# container (the agent deploys itself). Schedule it via a transient systemd
+# timer so the playbook finishes first, then Docker restarts ~15s later and
+# picks up the new daemon.json.
 - name: Restart docker
-  ansible.builtin.systemd:
-    name: docker
-    state: restarted
+  ansible.builtin.command:
+    cmd: >-
+      systemd-run --on-active=15s --timer-property=AccuracySec=100ms
+      systemctl restart docker
+  changed_when: true
 
 - name: Restart woodpecker-agent
   systemd: