diff --git a/roles/mariadb_mysql_server/tasks/main.yml b/roles/mariadb_mysql_server/tasks/main.yml
index 0cab90eb697a20ee649f35c06aa5c8b9ce0b819e..b53a484567d1d09e6acda13a6a9a67a35ba00fdc 100644
--- a/roles/mariadb_mysql_server/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/mariadb_mysql_server/tasks/main.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,17 @@
     loop: "{{ mariadb_base_packages }}"
     loop_control:
       loop_var: mariadb_base_package
+    when: ansible_distribution != 'Debian'
+
+  - name: "mariadb base packages for debian"
+    apt:
+      name: "{{ package }}"
+      state: latest
+      update_cache: yes
+    loop: "{{ mariadb_debian_base_packages }}"
+    loop_control:
+      loop_var: package
+    when: ansible_distribution == 'Debian'
 
   - name: "ensure mariadb/mysql is running"
     service:
diff --git a/roles/mariadb_mysql_server/vars/main.yml b/roles/mariadb_mysql_server/vars/main.yml
index 826841de63dd5ad393a68badc922d69b15f568ca..af456e149a3e2850e31b83406b0c33bbf188f445 100644
--- a/roles/mariadb_mysql_server/vars/main.yml
+++ b/roles/mariadb_mysql_server/vars/main.yml
@@ -9,3 +9,10 @@
     'lib{{ mariadb_mysql | default("mariadb") }}client-dev'
     ]
 
+  mariadb_debian_base_packages: [
+    '{{ mariadb_mysql | default("mariadb") }}-server',
+    # used by ansible, useful even if using virtualenv for client app
+    "python3-mysqldb",
+    'mariadb-client'
+    ]
+