diff --git a/tasks/mount.yml b/tasks/mount.yml
index dd28f6a..02a877c 100755
--- a/tasks/mount.yml
+++ b/tasks/mount.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+- name: install nfs client for network mounts
+  apt:
+    update_cache: yes
+    state: present
+    pkg: nfs-common
+  when: mount_points | selectattr('fstype', 'defined') | selectattr('fstype', 'in', ['nfs', 'nfs4']) | list | length > 0
+
 - name: generate filesystem on mounts if not defined
   filesystem:
     fstype: "{{ mnt.fstype | default('ext4') }}"
@@ -6,6 +13,8 @@
   loop_control:
     loop_var: mnt
     label: "{{ mnt.dev }}: {{ mnt.fstype | default('ext4') }}"
+  # network shares already have a filesystem; never format them
+  when: mnt.fstype | default('ext4') not in ['nfs', 'nfs4', 'cifs']
 
 - name: mount required points
   mount: