diff --git a/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/defaults/main.yml b/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/defaults/main.yml
index 37e604a22..17ba27b7e 100644
--- a/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/defaults/main.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ matrix_client_commet_container_image_self_build_repo: "https://github.com/commet
 matrix_client_commet_container_image_self_build_git_hash: ""
 matrix_client_commet_container_image_self_build_version_tag: "{{ matrix_client_commet_version }}"
 matrix_client_commet_container_image: "localhost/matrix-client-commet:{{ matrix_client_commet_version }}"
-matrix_client_commet_container_image_force_pull: "{{ matrix_client_commet_container_image.endswith(':latest') or matrix_client_commet_container_image.endswith(':main') }}"
 
 # The in-container port nginx listens on
 matrix_client_commet_container_port: 8080
diff --git a/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/main.yml b/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/main.yml
index c5a421018..488c474da 100644
--- a/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/main.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
     - install-all
     - install-client-commet
   block:
+    - when: matrix_client_commet_enabled | bool
+      ansible.builtin.include_tasks: "{{ role_path }}/tasks/validate_config.yml"
+
     - when: matrix_client_commet_enabled | bool
       ansible.builtin.include_tasks: "{{ role_path }}/tasks/setup_install.yml"
 
diff --git a/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/setup_install.yml b/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/setup_install.yml
index 07b44e15d..e5900d7e6 100644
--- a/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/setup_install.yml
+++ b/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/setup_install.yml
@@ -17,11 +17,9 @@
     - "{{ matrix_client_commet_config_path }}"
 
 - name: Ensure Commet container image is pulled
-  community.docker.docker_image:
+  community.docker.docker_image_pull:
     name: "{{ matrix_client_commet_container_image }}"
-    source: "{{ 'pull' if ansible_version.major > 2 or ansible_version.minor > 7 else omit }}"
-    force_source: "{{ matrix_client_commet_container_image_force_pull if ansible_version.major > 2 or ansible_version.minor >= 8 else omit }}"
-    force: "{{ omit if ansible_version.major > 2 or ansible_version.minor >= 8 else matrix_client_commet_container_image_force_pull }}"
+    pull: always
   when: "not matrix_client_commet_container_image_self_build | bool"
   register: matrix_client_commet_image_pull_result
   retries: "{{ devture_playbook_help_container_retries_count }}"
diff --git a/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/validate_config.yml b/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/validate_config.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c32eb165d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/custom/matrix-client-commet/tasks/validate_config.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 MDAD project contributors
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+
+---
+- name: (Deprecation) Catch and report renamed matrix-client-commet variables
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: >-
+      The variable `{{ item.old }}` is deprecated. Please use `{{ item.new }}` instead.
+  when: "lookup('ansible.builtin.varnames', ('^' + item.old + '$'), wantlist=True) | length > 0"
+  with_items:
+    - {'old': 'matrix_client_commet_container_image_force_pull', 'new': '<removed> (the new community.docker.docker_image_pull module handles this natively)'}