diff --git a/roles/alertmanager/defaults/main.yml b/roles/alertmanager/defaults/main/container.yml
similarity index 75%
rename from roles/alertmanager/defaults/main.yml
rename to roles/alertmanager/defaults/main/container.yml
index fc02ab2..f1fe2c5 100644
--- a/roles/alertmanager/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/alertmanager/defaults/main/container.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,4 @@
 ---
-alertmanager_user: alertmanager
-alertmanager_version: 0.27.0
-alertmanager_base_path: /opt/alertmanager
-alertmanager_config_path: "{{ alertmanager_base_path }}/config"
-alertmanager_config_file: "{{ alertmanager_config_path }}/alertmanager.yml"
-alertmanager_data_path: "{{ alertmanager_base_path }}/data"
-
 alertmanager_container_name: alertmanager
 alertmanager_container_image_name: alertmanager
 alertmanager_container_image_namespace: prometheus/
@@ -22,7 +15,7 @@ alertmanager_container_image_reference: >-
     alertmanager_container_image_repository + ':'
     + (alertmanager_container_image_tag | default('v' + alertmanager_version))
   }}
-
+alertmanager_container_image_source: pull
 alertmanager_container_image_force_pull: "{{ alertmanager_container_image_tag is defined }}"
 
 alertmanager_container_default_volumes:
@@ -32,8 +25,5 @@ alertmanager_container_volumes: >-
   {{ alertmanager_container_default_volumes
      + alertmanager_container_extra_volumes | default([]) }}
 alertmanager_container_restart_policy: "unless-stopped"
-
-alertmanager_config:
-  global: {}
-  route: {}
-  receivers: []
+alertmanager_container_state: >-2
+  {{ (alertmanager_state == 'present') | ternary('started', 'absent') }}
diff --git a/roles/alertmanager/defaults/main/main.yml b/roles/alertmanager/defaults/main/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..043cd28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/alertmanager/defaults/main/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+alertmanager_user: alertmanager
+alertmanager_version: 0.27.0
+alertmanager_state: present
+alertmanager_deployment_method: docker
+alertmanager_base_path: /opt/alertmanager
+alertmanager_config_path: "{{ alertmanager_base_path }}/config"
+alertmanager_config_file: "{{ alertmanager_config_path }}/alertmanager.yml"
+alertmanager_data_path: "{{ alertmanager_base_path }}/data"
+
+
+alertmanager_config:
+  global: {}
+  route: {}
+  receivers: []
diff --git a/roles/alertmanager/handlers/main.yml b/roles/alertmanager/handlers/main.yml
index 9b75620..64eba6f 100644
--- a/roles/alertmanager/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/roles/alertmanager/handlers/main.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 ---
-
 - name: Ensure alertmanager is restarted
   community.docker.docker_container:
     name: "{{ alertmanager_container_name }}"
-    state: started
+    state: "{{ alertmanager_container_state }}"
     restart: true
   listen: restart-alertmanager
+  when: alertmanager_deployment_method == 'docker'
diff --git a/roles/alertmanager/meta/main.yml b/roles/alertmanager/meta/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a8f495
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/alertmanager/meta/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+---
+allow_duplicates: true
+dependencies: []
+galaxy_info:
+  role_name: alertmanager
+  description: Deploy and configure prometheus alertmanager
+  galaxy_tags:
+    - prometheus
+    - alertmanager
+    - observability
diff --git a/roles/alertmanager/tasks/deploy-docker.yml b/roles/alertmanager/tasks/deploy-docker.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ae6439
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/alertmanager/tasks/deploy-docker.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+- name: Ensure container image is {{ alertmanager_state }} on host
+  community.docker.docker_image:
+    name: "{{ alertmanager_container_image_reference }}"
+    state: "{{ alertmanager_state }}"
+    source: "{{ alertmanager_container_image_source }}"
+    force_source: "{{ alertmanager_container_image_force_pull | bool }}"
+
+- name: Ensure container '{{ alertmanager_container_name }}' is {{ alertmanager_container_state }}
+  community.docker.docker_container:
+    name: "{{ alertmanager_container_name }}"
+    image: "{{ alertmanager_container_image_reference }}"
+    env: "{{ alertmanager_container_env | default(omit) }}"
+    user: "{{ alertmanager_user_info.uid | default(alertmanager_user) }}"
+    ports: "{{ alertmanager_container_ports | default(omit) }}"
+    volumes: "{{ alertmanager_container_volumes | default(omit) }}"
+    networks: "{{ alertmanager_container_networks | default(omit) }}"
+    purge_networks: "{{ alertmanager_container_purge_networks | default(omit) }}"
+    etc_hosts: "{{ alertmanager_container_etc_hosts | default(omit) }}"
+    restart_policy: "{{ alertmanager_container_restart_policy }}"
+    state: "{{ alertmanager_container_state }}"
diff --git a/roles/alertmanager/tasks/main.yml b/roles/alertmanager/tasks/main.yml
index ca30c37..34c67df 100644
--- a/roles/alertmanager/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/alertmanager/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,16 +1,29 @@
 ---
+- name: Ensure state is valid
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >-2
+      Invalid state '{{ alertmanager_state }}'! Valid
+      states are {{ alertmanager_states | join(', ') }}.
+  when: alertmanager_state not in alertmanager_states
 
-- name: Ensure alertmanager user '{{ alertmanager_user }}' exists
+- name: Ensure deployment method is valid
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >-2
+      Invalid deployment method {{ alertmanager_deployment_method }}!
+      Supported deployment methods are {{ alertmanager_deployment_methods | join(', ') }}.
+  when: alertmanager_deployment_method not in alertmanager_deployment_methods
+
+- name: Ensure alertmanager user '{{ alertmanager_user }}' is {{ alertmanager_state }}
   ansible.builtin.user:
     name: "{{ alertmanager_user }}"
-    state: present
+    state: "{{ alertmanager_state }}"
     system: true
   register: alertmanager_user_info
 
-- name: Ensure mounts are created
+- name: Ensure mounts are {{ alertmanager_state }}
   ansible.builtin.file:
     dest: "{{ item.path }}"
-    state: directory
+    state: "{{ (alertmanager_state == 'present') | ternary('directory', 'absent') }}"
     owner: "{{ item.owner | default(alertmanager_user_info.uid | default(alertmanager_user)) }}"
     group: "{{ item.owner | default(alertmanager_user_info.group | default(alertmanager_user)) }}"
     mode: "{{ item.mode | default('0755') }}"
@@ -26,26 +39,10 @@
     owner: "{{ alertmanager_user_info.uid | default(alertmanager_user) }}"
     owner: "{{ alertmanager_user_info.uid | default(alertmanager_user) }}"
     mode: "0640"
+  when: alertmanager_state == 'present'
   notify:
     - restart-alertmanager
 
-- name: Ensure container image is present on host
-  community.docker.docker_image:
-    name: "{{ alertmanager_container_image_reference }}"
-    state: present
-    source: pull
-    force_source: "{{ alertmanager_container_image_force_pull | bool }}"
-
-- name: Ensure container '{{ alertmanager_container_name }}' is running
-  community.docker.docker_container:
-    name: "{{ alertmanager_container_name }}"
-    image: "{{ alertmanager_container_image_reference }}"
-    env: "{{ alertmanager_container_env | default(omit) }}"
-    user: "{{ alertmanager_user_info.uid | default(alertmanager_user) }}"
-    ports: "{{ alertmanager_container_ports | default(omit) }}"
-    volumes: "{{ alertmanager_container_volumes | default(omit) }}"
-    networks: "{{ alertmanager_container_networks | default(omit) }}"
-    purge_networks: "{{ alertmanager_container_purge_networks | default(omit) }}"
-    etc_hosts: "{{ alertmanager_container_etc_hosts | default(omit) }}"
-    restart_policy: "{{ alertmanager_container_restart_policy }}"
-    state: started
+- name: Deploy alertmanager using {{ alertmanager_deployment_method }}
+  ansible.builtin.include_tasks:
+    file: "deploy-{{ alertmanager_deployment_method }}.yml"
diff --git a/roles/alertmanager/vars/main.yml b/roles/alertmanager/vars/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6338c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/alertmanager/vars/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+alertmanager_states:
+  - present
+  - absent
+alertmanager_deployment_methods:
+  - docker