diff --git a/common/handlers/main.yml b/common/handlers/main.yml
index 10fd150..db02a89 100644
--- a/common/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/common/handlers/main.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # Only the files of this role that exist: in a container the distribution files hold keys that
-# are not writable there, and sysctl --system fails on them.
+# are not writable there, and sysctl --system fails on them; -e skips keys a container lacks.
 - name: reload_sysctl
   shell: >-
-    cd /etc/sysctl.d && sysctl -p $(ls
+    cd /etc/sysctl.d && sysctl -e -p $(ls
     ip-forwarding.conf
     ipv6-slaac-address-generation.conf
     ipv6-slaac-override.conf