diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 17e2f78..e37bd97 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ make molecule         # containerised converge/verify of the decdn_node role (ne
 cd ansible
 make deps             # vendor pinned Galaxy collections into ./collections
 make check / deploy   # deCDN node (site.yml): dry-run / provision
+                      # fleet-wide by default; LIMIT=<host> scopes, ANSIBLE_ARGS='…' passes through
 make build / galaxy-check       # stage + build the decdn.node collection, then validate it
 ```
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 47f52a6..db442de 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ make security         # KICS IaC scan of ansible/ (pinned engine image)
 cd ansible
 make deps                         # vendor pinned Galaxy collections into ./collections
 make check / deploy               # deCDN node (site.yml): dry-run / provision
+                                  # fleet-wide by default; LIMIT=<host> scopes, ANSIBLE_ARGS='…' passes through
 ```
 
 **Gotcha — pre-commit is local-only.** Hygiene/shellcheck/yamllint/markdown run via
diff --git a/ansible/Makefile b/ansible/Makefile
index c1db30d..b7dbcc7 100644
--- a/ansible/Makefile
+++ b/ansible/Makefile
@@ -14,13 +14,53 @@ lint:
 	ansible-lint
 
 # --- Primary: the public deCDN node ------------------------------------------
+# Optional scoping for the deploy targets. Both are empty by default, so check/deploy
+# stay fleet-wide (every host in decdn_nodes) unless you say otherwise.
+#   make deploy LIMIT=decdn-node-1                        # one host
+#   make deploy LIMIT='decdn-node-1,decdn-node-2'         # a list
+#   make deploy ANSIBLE_ARGS='--tags decdn_node -vv'
+#
+# Quote both values at YOUR prompt, not just in the examples:
+#   - make expands the --limit value single-quoted, so ansible host patterns reach
+#     ansible intact — but your own shell runs first, and eats an unquoted '!node'
+#     (history expansion) or 'decdn-node-*' (globbing) before make ever starts.
+#   - ANSIBLE_ARGS is substituted unquoted on purpose: the recipe's shell splits it
+#     back into separate flags (so inner quoting works —
+#     ANSIBLE_ARGS='--start-at-task="Install the decdn binaries"' survives). Unquoted
+#     at your prompt, make takes the extra words as goals and flags of its own — a
+#     bare -vv is make's own -v. A literal $ must be written $$.
+LIMIT ?=
+ANSIBLE_ARGS ?=
+limit_arg = $(if $(LIMIT),--limit '$(LIMIT)')
+
+# Fail loud on the two ways a run can look scoped but silently be fleet-wide. Scoped to
+# check/deploy via MAKECMDGOALS so an unrelated `make lint` is never blocked. NOTE: this
+# does not catch an argument that is well-formed but selects nothing — `--tags` with a
+# typo (decdn-node vs decdn_node) runs zero tasks and still exits 0. See ansible/README.md.
+ifneq ($(filter check deploy,$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
+  # Echo back the goal the operator actually typed, so the hint never nudges a
+  # `make check` dry-run toward the mutating `make deploy`.
+  scoped_goal := $(firstword $(filter check deploy,$(MAKECMDGOALS)))
+  ifeq ($(origin LIMIT),environment)
+    $(error LIMIT is set in your environment ($(LIMIT)) and would silently scope this run. Unset it or pass it on the command line: make $(scoped_goal) LIMIT=<host>)
+  endif
+  ifeq ($(origin ANSIBLE_ARGS),environment)
+    $(error ANSIBLE_ARGS is set in your environment and would silently alter this run. Unset it or pass it on the command line)
+  endif
+  ifeq ($(origin LIMIT),command line)
+    ifeq ($(strip $(LIMIT)),)
+      $(error LIMIT was supplied but expanded empty (unset shell variable?) - refusing to run fleet-wide by accident. Omit LIMIT entirely to mean "all hosts")
+    endif
+  endif
+endif
+
 # Dry run against the real inventory — shows diffs, mutates nothing.
 check:
-	ansible-playbook playbooks/site.yml --check --diff
+	ansible-playbook playbooks/site.yml --check --diff $(limit_arg) $(ANSIBLE_ARGS)
 
 # Provision the deCDN node host(s) in inventory/hosts.yml.
 deploy:
-	ansible-playbook playbooks/site.yml
+	ansible-playbook playbooks/site.yml $(limit_arg) $(ANSIBLE_ARGS)
 
 # --- Tests -------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Containerised converge + idempotence + verify of the decdn_node role against a
diff --git a/ansible/README.md b/ansible/README.md
index 8e8ab8a..0d95176 100644
--- a/ansible/README.md
+++ b/ansible/README.md
@@ -106,6 +106,45 @@ make check          # dry run (--check --diff); asserts fire if required knobs a
 make deploy         # provision + start the node
 ```
 
+Both targets are **fleet-wide by default** — every host in `decdn_nodes`. Scope a run with
+`LIMIT`:
+
+```bash
+make check  LIMIT=decdn-node-1                    # dry-run one host
+make deploy LIMIT=decdn-node-1                    # converge one host
+make deploy LIMIT='decdn-node-1,decdn-node-2'     # a list
+make deploy LIMIT='!decdn-node-2'                 # any ansible host pattern
+```
+
+Quote the pattern at your own prompt — your shell runs before make does, and eats a bare
+`!decdn-node-2` (history expansion) or `decdn-node-*` (globbing).
+
+Use `LIMIT` when **bringing up a new node**: that host's first converge creates the
+operator account and then lets `ssh_hardening` disable root + password login — after which
+you switch its `ansible_user` by hand (see [Setup](#setup) above; the converge does not
+edit your inventory). You do not want that play re-converging nodes already serving
+paid traffic. Same when re-running a single node after a config change, a failed play, or a
+binary bump.
+
+`make check`/`make deploy` refuse to run if `LIMIT` or `ANSIBLE_ARGS` reaches them from an
+exported shell variable, or if `LIMIT` expands empty — both are ways a run looks scoped but
+is silently fleet-wide.
+
+`ANSIBLE_ARGS` passes anything else straight through. Quote the whole value at your prompt,
+or make will read the extra words as its own goals and flags (a bare `-vv` is make's `-v`);
+the recipe's shell then splits it back into separate flags, so inner quoting works. Write a
+literal `$` as `$$`:
+
+```bash
+make deploy LIMIT=decdn-node-1 ANSIBLE_ARGS='--tags decdn_node -vv'
+make deploy LIMIT=decdn-node-1 ANSIBLE_ARGS='--start-at-task="Install the decdn binaries"'
+```
+
+> **Watch the PLAY RECAP.** A *well-formed* argument that selects nothing is not an error:
+> `--tags decdn-node` (hyphen, vs the real `decdn_node`) runs zero tasks and still exits 0,
+> as does a `--limit` matching a host outside `decdn_nodes`. A malformed flag fails loudly;
+> these do not. Confirm the recap lists the hosts you expected.
+
 Then confirm:
 
 ```bash