diff --git a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-appliers.yml b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-appliers.yml
index 863c167..19afc1c 100644
--- a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-appliers.yml
+++ b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-appliers.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
       prompt: "The base directory for the container"
       default: /data
       private: no
+    - name: "podman_network"
+      prompt: "The podman network to use for the container (empty = none)"
+      default: ""
+      private: no
     - name: "patchew_server"
       prompt: "The address of patchew server"
       default: "https://patchew.org"
diff --git a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-db.yml b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-db.yml
index daac7b5..77b2707 100644
--- a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-db.yml
+++ b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-db.yml
@@ -8,20 +8,19 @@
       prompt: "The base directory for the container"
       default: /data
       private: no
+    - name: "podman_network"
+      prompt: "The podman network to use for the container (empty = none)"
+      default: ""
+      private: no
   vars:
     base_dir: "{{ container_dir }}/{{ instance_name }}"
     src_dir: "{{ base_dir }}/src"
     data_dir: "{{ base_dir }}/data"
-    podman_run_args: "--net patchew"
   tasks:
     - name: Create data dir
       file:
         path: "{{ data_dir }}"
         state: directory
-    - name: Create podman network
-      containers.podman.podman_network:
-        name: patchew
-      become: true
     - import_tasks: tasks/podman-deploy.yml
       vars:
         instance_role: db
diff --git a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-importers-lore.yml b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-importers-lore.yml
index ab76ba6..bc054af 100644
--- a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-importers-lore.yml
+++ b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-importers-lore.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
       prompt: "The base directory for the container"
       default: /data
       private: no
+    - name: "podman_network"
+      prompt: "The podman network to use for the container (empty = none)"
+      default: ""
+      private: no
     - name: "patchew_server"
       prompt: "The address of patchew server"
       default: "https://patchew.org"
diff --git a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-importers.yml b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-importers.yml
index 3711dbd..db75ca5 100644
--- a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-importers.yml
+++ b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-importers.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
       prompt: "The base directory for the container"
       default: /data
       private: no
+    - name: "podman_network"
+      prompt: "The podman network to use for the container (empty = none)"
+      default: ""
+      private: no
     - name: "patchew_server"
       prompt: "The address of patchew server"
       default: "https://patchew.org"
diff --git a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-servers.yml b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-servers.yml
index 227b84b..3378769 100644
--- a/scripts/playbooks/deploy-servers.yml
+++ b/scripts/playbooks/deploy-servers.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
       prompt: "The base directory for the container"
       default: /data
       private: no
+    - name: "podman_network"
+      prompt: "The podman network to use for the container (empty = none)"
+      default: ""
+      private: no
     - name: db_host
       prompt: "Host for PostgreSQL database (empty = SQLite)"
       default: ""
@@ -24,8 +28,7 @@
     base_dir: "{{ container_dir }}/{{ instance_name }}"
     src_dir: "{{ base_dir }}/src"
     data_dir: "{{ base_dir }}/data"
-    db_arg: "{{ '-e PATCHEW_DB_PORT_5432_TCP_ADDR=' if db_host != '' else '' }}{{ db_host }}"
-    podman_run_args: "--net patchew {{db_arg}}"
+    podman_run_args: "{{ '-e PATCHEW_DB_PORT_5432_TCP_ADDR=' if db_host != '' else '' }}{{ db_host }}"
   tasks:
     - name: Create data dir
       file:
@@ -44,10 +47,6 @@
       command: "restorecon -v {{ data_dir }}/nginx.sock"
       become: true
       when: nginx_sock.stat.exists
-    - name: Create podman network
-      containers.podman.podman_network:
-        name: patchew
-      become: true
     - import_tasks: tasks/podman-deploy.yml
       vars:
         instance_role: server
diff --git a/scripts/playbooks/tasks/podman-deploy.yml b/scripts/playbooks/tasks/podman-deploy.yml
index 6d7792f..739b9c9 100644
--- a/scripts/playbooks/tasks/podman-deploy.yml
+++ b/scripts/playbooks/tasks/podman-deploy.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@
   file:
     path: "{{ data_dir }}"
     state: directory
+- name: Create podman network
+  containers.podman.podman_network:
+    name: "{{ podman_network }}"
+  become: true
+  when: podman_network != ""
 - name: Copy source
   synchronize:
     src: ../../../
diff --git a/scripts/playbooks/templates/podman.service.j2 b/scripts/playbooks/templates/podman.service.j2
index 94f3c67..6b257c7 100644
--- a/scripts/playbooks/templates/podman.service.j2
+++ b/scripts/playbooks/templates/podman.service.j2
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ ExecStartPre=-podman stop {{ instance_name }} ; -podman rm {{ instance_name }}
 ExecStart=podman run --privileged --name {{ instance_name }} \
     -v {{ data_dir }}:/data/patchew:rw \
     -e PATCHEW_DATA_DIR=/data/patchew \
-    {{ podman_run_args | default() }} \
+   {{ " --net " if podman_network else "" }}{{ podman_network }} {{ podman_run_args | default() }} \
     patchew:{{ instance_name }}
 ExecStop=podman stop -t 10 {{ instance_name }}
 RestartSec=60