diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2e409c6b..b6ef84cc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ The **patch** part changes incrementally at each release.
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Added
+* evomaintenance: database variables must be set or the task fails
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/evomaintenance/tasks/main.yml b/evomaintenance/tasks/main.yml
index 1b58b3e0..d0b9ba3b 100644
--- a/evomaintenance/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/evomaintenance/tasks/main.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,14 @@
 - set_fact:
     minifirewall_restart_handler_name: "{{ minifirewall_restart_if_needed | ternary('restart minifirewall', 'restart minifirewall (noop)') }}"
 
+- assert:
+    that:
+      - evomaintenance_pg_passwd is not none
+      - evomaintenance_pg_db is not none
+      - evomaintenance_pg_table is not none
+      - evomaintenance_pg_host is not none
+    msg: evomaintenance database variables must be set
+
 - include: install_package_debian.yml
   when:
     - not evomaintenance_install_vendor
diff --git a/evomaintenance/templates/evomaintenance.j2 b/evomaintenance/templates/evomaintenance.j2
index 79bc0cbf..acb6fd46 100644
--- a/evomaintenance/templates/evomaintenance.j2
+++ b/evomaintenance/templates/evomaintenance.j2
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 HOSTNAME={{ evomaintenance_hostname }}
 EVOMAINTMAIL={{ evomaintenance_alert_email or general_alert_email | mandatory }}
 
-export PGPASSWORD={{ evomaintenance_pg_passwd | mandatory }}
+export PGPASSWORD={{ evomaintenance_pg_passwd }}
 
-PGDB={{ evomaintenance_pg_db | mandatory }}
-PGTABLE={{ evomaintenance_pg_table | mandatory }}
-PGHOST={{ evomaintenance_pg_host | mandatory }}
+PGDB={{ evomaintenance_pg_db }}
+PGTABLE={{ evomaintenance_pg_table }}
+PGHOST={{ evomaintenance_pg_host }}
 FROM={{ evomaintenance_from }}
 FULLFROM="{{ evomaintenance_full_from }}"
 URGENCYFROM={{ evomaintenance_urgency_from }}