diff --git a/tasks/set_vars.yml b/tasks/set_vars.yml
index 0a07c3e..a765d4a 100644
--- a/tasks/set_vars.yml
+++ b/tasks/set_vars.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 ---
 - name: Ensure ansible_facts used by role
   setup:
-    gather_subset: min
-  when: not ansible_facts.keys() | list |
-    intersect(__ssh_required_facts) == __ssh_required_facts
+    gather_subset: "{{ __ssh_required_facts_subsets }}"
+  when: __ssh_required_facts |
+    difference(ansible_facts.keys() | list) | length > 0
 
 - name: Set platform/version specific variables
   include_vars: "{{ __vars_file }}"
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 8801bd0..4e16d52 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -19,3 +19,9 @@ __ssh_required_facts:
   - distribution_major_version
   - distribution_version
   - os_family
+
+# the subsets of ansible_facts that need to be gathered in case any of the
+# facts in required_facts is missing; see the documentation of
+# the 'gather_subset' parameter of the 'setup' module
+__ssh_required_facts_subsets: "{{ ['!all', '!min'] +
+  __ssh_required_facts }}"