diff --git a/roles/sys-svc-compose/tasks/utils/network/create.yml b/roles/sys-svc-compose/tasks/utils/network/create.yml
index 75d80f9235..6085953094 100644
--- a/roles/sys-svc-compose/tasks/utils/network/create.yml
+++ b/roles/sys-svc-compose/tasks/utils/network/create.yml
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@
       - "com.docker.compose.network={{ lookup('shared_network_key', network_role_id) }}"
       - --label
       - "com.docker.compose.project={{ network_role_id | get_entity_name }}"
+      # Exception: without the stack namespace label `docker stack deploy` cannot see this
+      # network as one of its own, so it retries the create and dies on "already exists".
+      - --label
+      - "com.docker.stack.namespace={{ network_role_id | get_entity_name }}"
       - "{{ network_role_id | get_entity_name }}"
   when:
     - (SWARM_CLUSTER_AVAILABLE | bool) and not (lookup('config', network_role_id, 'networks.local.force_bridge', false) | bool)