diff --git a/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/compose.yml b/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..120c52b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+sharkey_compose_state: "{{ sharkey_state }}"
+sharkey_compose_project_name: "sharkey"
+sharkey_compose_project_src: "/etc/sharkey"
+sharkey_compose_build: "never"
diff --git a/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/config.yml b/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/config.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ebf93d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/config.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+sharkey_config_url: ~
+sharkey_config_setup_password: ~
diff --git a/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/main.yml b/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ebc702
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+sharkey_user: sharkey
+sharkey_version: "2025.4.3"
+sharkey_data_path: "/var/lib/sharkey"
diff --git a/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/user.yml b/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/user.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..43ae2ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sharkey/defaults/main/user.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+sharkey_user_system: true
+sharkey_user_create_home: false
+sharkey_user_groups: ~
+sharkey_user_append_groups: >-2
+  {{ sharkey_user_groups | default(omit, true) }}
diff --git a/roles/sharkey/tasks/check.yml b/roles/sharkey/tasks/check.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f829304
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sharkey/tasks/check.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+- name: Ensure 'sharkey_state' is valid
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >-2
+      Unsupported sharkey_state '{{ sharkey_state }}'.
+      Supported values are {{ sharkey_states | join(', ') }}
+  when: sharkey_state not in sharkey_states
+
+- name: Ensure 'sharkey_deployment_method' is valid
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >-2
+      Unsupported sharkey_deployment_method '{{ sharkey_deployment_method }}.
+      Supported values are {{ sharkey_deployment_methods | join(', ') }}
+  when: sharkey_deployment_method not in sharkey_deployment_methods
diff --git a/roles/sharkey/tasks/configure.yml b/roles/sharkey/tasks/configure.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..590fb74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sharkey/tasks/configure.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+- name: Ensure sharkey user '{{ sharkey }}' is {{ sharkey_state }}
+  ansible.builtin.user:
+    name: "{{ sharkey_state }}"
+    state: "{{ sharkey_state }}"
+    system: "{{ sharkey_user_system }}"
+    create_home: "{{ sharkey_user_create_home }}"
+    groups: "{{ sharkey_user_groups }}"
+    append: "{{ sharkey_user_append_groups }}"
+  register: sharkey_user_info
diff --git a/roles/sharkey/tasks/deploy-docker-compose.yml b/roles/sharkey/tasks/deploy-docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea12a24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sharkey/tasks/deploy-docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+- name: Ensure compose files are downloaded
+  ansible.builtin.get_url:
+    # TODO: how to avoid redownloading default.yml when the role made changes?
+
+- name: Ensure docker compose project is {{ sharkey_compose_state }}
+  community.docker.docker_compose_v2:
+    project_name: "{{ sharkey_compose_project_name }}"
+    project_src: "{{ sharkey_compose_project_src }}"
+    state: "{{ sharkey_compose_state }}"
+    build: "{{ sharkey_compose_build }}"
diff --git a/roles/sharkey/tasks/main.yml b/roles/sharkey/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc3ca77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sharkey/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+- name: Check role prerequisites
+  ansible.builtin.include_tasks:
+    file: check.yml
+
+- name: Run common configuration tasks
+  ansible.builtin.include_tasks:
+    file: configure.yml
+
+- name: Deploy using {{ sharkey_deployment_method }}
+  ansible.builtin.include_tasks:
+    file: "deploy-{{ sharkey_deployment_method }}.yml"
diff --git a/roles/sharkey/vars/main.yml b/roles/sharkey/vars/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..348169e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/sharkey/vars/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+sharkey_states:
+  - present
+  - absent
+sharkey_deployment_methods:
+  - "docker-compose"