diff --git a/playbooks/roles/gitea/tasks/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/gitea/tasks/main.yaml
index 6c19bdb140..8226637555 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/gitea/tasks/main.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/gitea/tasks/main.yaml
@@ -34,13 +34,42 @@
   shell:
     cmd: docker-compose pull
     chdir: /etc/gitea-docker/
-- name: Run docker-compose up
-  shell:
-    cmd: docker-compose up -d --timeout 60
-    chdir: /etc/gitea-docker/
-- name: Run docker prune to cleanup unneeded images
-  shell:
-    cmd: docker image prune -f
+  register: docker_compose_pull
+
+- name: Stop/Start gitea safely for Gerrit replication
+  when: "'Downloaded newer image' in docker_compose_pull.stdout"
+  block:
+    - name: Run docker-compose stop
+      shell:
+        cmd: docker-compose stop --timeout 60
+        chdir: /etc/gitea-docker/
+    - name: Run docker-compose up mariadb gitea-web
+      shell:
+        cmd: docker-compose up -d --timeout 60 mariadb gitea-web
+        chdir: /etc/gitea-docker/
+
+    # We wait here for the main gitea service to start before starting
+    # the ssh service. This is friendly to gerrit replication.
+    - name: Wait until the web service is sufficiently up to start ssh
+      uri:
+        url: "https://localhost:3000/api/v1/users/root"
+        validate_certs: false
+        status_code: 200, 404
+      register: root_user_check
+      delay: 1
+      retries: 300
+      until: root_user_check and root_user_check.status in (200, 404)
+
+    - name: Run docker-compose up gitea-ssh
+      shell:
+        cmd: docker-compose up -d --timeout 60 gitea-ssh
+        chdir: /etc/gitea-docker/
+    - name: Run docker prune to cleanup unneeded images
+      shell:
+        cmd: docker image prune -f
+
+# User management outside of service bringup to avoid confusion between
+# the two stages.
 - name: Check if root user exists
   uri:
     url: "https://localhost:3000/api/v1/users/root"
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/gitea/templates/docker-compose.yaml.j2 b/playbooks/roles/gitea/templates/docker-compose.yaml.j2
index 0ae57b8276..1dab97f1ff 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/gitea/templates/docker-compose.yaml.j2
+++ b/playbooks/roles/gitea/templates/docker-compose.yaml.j2
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ services:
   gitea-ssh:
     depends_on:
       - mariadb
+      - gitea-web
     environment:
       - SSH_LISTEN_PORT=222
     image: docker.io/opendevorg/gitea-openssh