diff --git a/roles/ensure-sphinx/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/ensure-sphinx/tasks/main.yaml
index 2a8f7da58..9b10539fc 100644
--- a/roles/ensure-sphinx/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/ensure-sphinx/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
+- name: Check for gettext installed
+  command: bash -c "type gettext"
+  ignore_errors: yes
+  register: gettext_exists
+
 # TODO(mordred) Make this a list of known binary depends that sphinx needs
 - name: Install gettext package
   package:
     name: gettext
     state: present
   become: yes
+  when: gettext_exists.rc != 0
 
 - name: Find Constraints File
   include_role: