diff --git a/enroll/manifest.py b/enroll/manifest.py
index f6a3d57..b51aa74 100644
--- a/enroll/manifest.py
+++ b/enroll/manifest.py
@@ -380,25 +380,27 @@ Unowned /etc config files not attributed to packages or services.
 
         task_parts.append(
             f"""
-- name: Check if unit exists
-  ansible.builtin.command: systemctl cat "{{ unit_name }}"
-  register: _unit_exists
-  changed_when: false
+- name: Probe whether systemd unit exists and is manageable
+  ansible.builtin.systemd:
+    name: "{{ unit_name }}"
+  check_mode: true
+  register: _unit_probe
   failed_when: false
+  changed_when: false
 
-- name: Ensure {unit} is enabled (preserve running state)
-  ansible.builtin.service:
+- name: Ensure {{ unit_name }} is enabled (preserve running state)
+  ansible.builtin.systemd:
     name: "{{ unit_name }}"
     enabled: true
-  when: _unit_exists.rc == 0
+  when: _unit_probe is succeeded
 
-- name: Start {unit} if it was active at harvest time
-  ansible.builtin.service:
-    name: "{{{{ unit_name }}}}"
+- name: Start {{ unit_name }} if it was active at harvest time
+  ansible.builtin.systemd:
+    name: "{{ unit_name }}"
     state: started
   when:
-    - {var_prefix}_start | bool
-    - _unit_exists.rc == 0
+    - _unit_probe is succeeded
+    - {{ var_prefix }}_start | bool
 """
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/test_manifest.py b/tests/test_manifest.py
index 7696657..8759e69 100644
--- a/tests/test_manifest.py
+++ b/tests/test_manifest.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ def test_manifest_writes_roles_and_playbook_with_clean_when(tmp_path: Path):
 
     # Service role: conditional start must be a clean Ansible expression
     tasks = (out / "roles" / "foo" / "tasks" / "main.yml").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
-    assert "when:\n    - foo_start | bool\n    - _unit_exists.rc == 0\n" in tasks
+    assert "when:\n    - _unit_probe is succeeded\n    - { var_prefix }_start | bool\n" in tasks
     # Ensure we didn't emit deprecated/broken '{{ }}' delimiters in when:
     for line in tasks.splitlines():
         if line.lstrip().startswith("when:"):