diff --git a/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/templates/ansible.cfg.j2 b/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/templates/ansible.cfg.j2
index 25f6495128..47f61d62dc 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/templates/ansible.cfg.j2
+++ b/playbooks/roles/install-ansible/templates/ansible.cfg.j2
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ any_unparsed_is_failed=True
 [ssh_connection]
 retries=3
 pipelining = True
+# Override the default ControlPersist value of 60s due to
+# https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/81777 and the hunch that
+# fewer task pairs have larger deltas between them.
+ssh_args = -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=180s
 
 [callback_profile_tasks]
 task_output_limit = 50