diff --git a/inventories/production/group_vars/control/vars.yml b/inventories/production/group_vars/control/vars.yml
index eead269..109b092 100644
--- a/inventories/production/group_vars/control/vars.yml
+++ b/inventories/production/group_vars/control/vars.yml
@@ -5,3 +5,9 @@
 dev_env__users:
   - sjat
   - claude
+
+# Connection: ubongo is the manually-provisioned control node (ADR-009/ADR-015 exception),
+# not a Terraform VM bootstrapped with the `ansible` service user that group_vars/all
+# assumes. Manage it as the operator account. Overrides the all-group default for this
+# group only.
+ansible_user: sjat