diff --git a/playbooks/nextcloud-upgrade.yml b/playbooks/nextcloud-upgrade.yml
index 9c21932..1d7decd 100644
--- a/playbooks/nextcloud-upgrade.yml
+++ b/playbooks/nextcloud-upgrade.yml
@@ -1,130 +1,140 @@
 ---
-- name: Nextcloud Upgrade
+- name: Safe Nextcloud Upgrade Playbook
   hosts: nextcloud
   become: yes
-
   vars:
-    ansible_remote_tmp: "/var/tmp/.ansible"
-    nextcloud_path: "/var/www/nextcloud"
-    php_bin: "/usr/bin/php"
-
-  pre_tasks:
-    - name: Ensure remote tmp exists
-      file:
-        path: "/var/tmp/.ansible"
-        state: directory
-        owner: root
-        group: root
-        mode: "0755"
+    nc_path: /var/www/nextcloud
+    php_bin: /usr/bin/php
 
   tasks:
 
-    - name: Pause playbook for 3 seconds
-      pause:
-        seconds: 3
+  - name: Pause playbook for 3 seconds
+    pause:
+      seconds: 3
+      prompt: "Press Ctrl+C then A to abort if no backups exist."
 
-    - name: 1.1 - Get current Nextcloud status
-      command: "{{ php_bin }} occ status --output=json"
+  ###########################################################################
+  # 1 - CHECK CURRENT INSTALLED VERSION
+  ###########################################################################
+  - name: 1.1 - Get current NC status
+    command: "{{ php_bin }} occ status"
+    args:
+      chdir: "{{ nc_path }}"
+    register: nc_status
+
+  - name: 1.2 - Extract installed version
+    set_fact:
+      installed_version: "{{ nc_status.stdout | regex_search('versionstring: (.*)', '\\1') }}"
+
+  - name: 1.3 - Show installed version
+    debug:
+      msg: "Current installed version: {{ installed_version }}"
+
+  ###########################################################################
+  # 2 - CHECK LATEST AVAILABLE VERSION (via updater.phar)
+  ###########################################################################
+  - name: 2.1 - Check for available update
+    command: "{{ php_bin }} updater/updater.phar --check"
+    args:
+      chdir: "{{ nc_path }}"
+    register: update_check
+    failed_when: false  # we want to parse output even if exit code != 0
+
+  - name: 2.2 - Parse latest available version
+    set_fact:
+      available_version: "{{ update_check.stdout | regex_search('Update to version (.*) available', '\\1') }}"
+    when: update_check.stdout is search('Update to version')
+
+  - name: 2.3 - Show available version
+    debug:
+      msg: "Latest available version: {{ available_version | default('NONE') }}"
+
+  ###########################################################################
+  # 2.4 - SKIP IF ALREADY UP TO DATE
+  ###########################################################################
+  - name: 2.4 - Skip upgrade if already on latest version
+    debug:
+      msg: "Nextcloud is already up to date ({{ installed_version }}). Skipping upgrade."
+    when: available_version is not defined
+    tags: skip_upgrade
+    changed_when: false
+
+  - name: End play if up to date
+    meta: end_play
+    when: available_version is not defined
+
+  ###########################################################################
+  # 3 - DISABLE APPS + MAINTENANCE MODE
+  ###########################################################################
+  - name: 3.1 - Enable maintenance mode
+    command: "{{ php_bin }} occ maintenance:mode --on"
+    args:
+      chdir: "{{ nc_path }}"
+
+  ###########################################################################
+  # 3.2 - RUN UPDATER WITH RETRIES
+  ###########################################################################
+  - name: 3.2 - Run Nextcloud CLI updater (retry)
+    command: "{{ php_bin }} updater/updater.phar --no-interaction"
+    args:
+      chdir: "{{ nc_path }}"
+    register: updater_output
+    retries: 3
+    delay: 5
+    until: updater_output.rc == 0
+    failed_when: updater_output.rc != 0
+
+  ###########################################################################
+  # 3.3 - OCC UPGRADE (DB MIGRATIONS)
+  ###########################################################################
+  - block:
+    - name: 3.3 - Run occ upgrade
+      command: "{{ php_bin }} occ upgrade"
       args:
-        chdir: "{{ nextcloud_path }}"
-      register: nc_status_json
+        chdir: "{{ nc_path }}"
+      register: upgrade_run
+      failed_when: >
+        upgrade_run.rc != 0 and
+        "already in process" not in upgrade_run.stdout and
+        "maintenance mode" not in upgrade_run.stdout
 
-    - name: 1.2 - Parse current version
-      set_fact:
-        nc_current_version: "{{ (nc_status_json.stdout | from_json).versionstring }}"
+    rescue:
+      - name: 3.3R - Handle locked upgrade
+        debug:
+          msg: "Upgrade appears stuck. Removing maintenance lock and retrying."
 
-    - name: 1.3 - Show current version
-      debug:
-        msg: "Current Nextcloud version: {{ nc_current_version }}"
+      - name: Remove maintenance mode flag from config.php
+        lineinfile:
+          path: "{{ nc_path }}/config/config.php"
+          regexp: "'maintenance' => true"
+          line: "  'maintenance' => false,"
+          backrefs: yes
 
-    - name: 2.1 - Get list of installed apps
-      command: "{{ php_bin }} occ app:list --output=json"
-      args:
-        chdir: "{{ nextcloud_path }}"
-      register: app_list
+      - name: Retry OCC upgrade
+        command: "{{ php_bin }} occ upgrade"
+        args:
+          chdir: "{{ nc_path }}"
+        register: upgrade_retry
+        failed_when: upgrade_retry.rc != 0
 
-    - name: 2.2 - Disable 3rd-party apps (non-core)
-      command: "{{ php_bin }} occ app:disable {{ item }}"
-      args:
-        chdir: "{{ nextcloud_path }}"
-      loop: "{{ (app_list.stdout | from_json).enabled | difference(['files','activity','dav','federation','files_external','files_sharing','files_trashbin','files_versions','lookup_server_connector','notifications','provisioning_api','settings','systemtags','theming','updatenotification','user_status']) }}"
-      register: disabled_apps
-      changed_when: "'Disabled' in disabled_apps.stdout"
-      when: false   # Optional: Disabled if you want.
+  ###########################################################################
+  # 4 - ALWAYS DISABLE MAINTENANCE MODE
+  ###########################################################################
+  - name: ALWAYS disable maintenance mode
+    command: "{{ php_bin }} occ maintenance:mode --off"
+    args:
+      chdir: "{{ nc_path }}"
+    ignore_errors: true
 
-    - name: 2.3 - Save disabled apps list
-      set_fact:
-        nc_disabled_apps: "{{ disabled_apps.results | map(attribute='item') | list }}"
-
-    - name: 3.1 - Enable maintenance mode
-      command: "{{ php_bin }} occ maintenance:mode --on"
-      args:
-        chdir: "{{ nextcloud_path }}"
-      register: maintenance_on
-      changed_when: true
-
-    - block:
-
-        # ───────────────────────────────
-        #  3.2 — RUN NEXTCLOUD UPDATER
-        # ───────────────────────────────
-        - name: 3.2 - Run Nextcloud CLI updater
-          command: "{{ php_bin }} updater/updater.phar --no-interaction"
-          args:
-            chdir: "{{ nextcloud_path }}"
-          register: updater_output
-          retries: 3
-          delay: 3
-          until: updater_output.rc == 0
-
-        - name: Check if update actually happened
-          set_fact:
-            update_message: "{{ updater_output.stdout }}"
-
-        - name: If already newest version, show message
-          debug:
-            msg: "Nextcloud is already at the latest version. Nothing to upgrade."
-          when: "'No update available' in updater_output.stdout"
-
-        # ───────────────────────────────
-        #  3.3 — DATABASE UPGRADE
-        # ───────────────────────────────
-        - name: 3.3 - Run occ upgrade (only if update occurred)
-          command: "{{ php_bin }} occ upgrade"
-          args:
-            chdir: "{{ nextcloud_path }}"
-          register: occ_upgrade_output
-          when: "'No update available' not in updater_output.stdout"
-
-      rescue:
-        - name: ❌ UPGRADE FAILED - Details
-          debug:
-            msg: |
-              !!!!!!!!!!! NEXTCLOUD UPGRADE FAILED !!!!!!!!!!!!
-              Check logs:
-                - {{ nextcloud_path }}/data/updater.log
-                - {{ nextcloud_path }}/data/nextcloud.log
-
-        - name: Mark failure
-          set_fact:
-            upgrade_failed: true
-
-      always:
-
-        - name: ALWAYS disable maintenance mode
-          command: "{{ php_bin }} occ maintenance:mode --off"
-          args:
-            chdir: "{{ nextcloud_path }}"
-
-  post_tasks:
-
-    - name: Final status
-      debug:
-        msg: >-
-          Upgrade finished successfully (or nothing to update).
-      when: upgrade_failed is not defined
-
-    - name: Final failure
-      debug:
-        msg: "Nextcloud upgrade failed — maintenance mode disabled."
-      when: upgrade_failed is defined
+  ###########################################################################
+  # 5 - FINAL RESULT
+  ###########################################################################
+  - name: Show final upgrade result
+    debug:
+      msg: |
+        ✔ Nextcloud upgrade completed.
+        Installed: {{ installed_version }}
+        Updated to: {{ available_version }}
+        Check logs if issues appear:
+         - {{ nc_path }}/data/updater.log
+         - {{ nc_path }}/data/nextcloud.log