diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index d7a6d50..b3a86a1 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,21 @@
 ---
+- name: Polynote special requirements
+  block:
+  - name: Install the devel components required by the jep package on EL
+    yum: name=gcc state=present
+    when: ansible_distribution_file_variety == "RedHat"
+
+  - name: Install the devel components required by the jep package on Deb
+    apt: name=gcc state=present cache_valid_time=1800
+    when: ansible_distribution_file_variety == "Debian"
+
+  - name: Install the jep package
+    environment:
+      JAVA_HOME: '{{ jdk_java_home }}'
+    pip: executable=pip{{ py3_env_major_version }} name=jep version=3.9.0
+
+  tags: [ 'polynote', 'polynote_distribution' ]
+
 - name: Polynote distribution
   block:
   - name: Create a user for the polynote service
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 94a6551..2ad216e 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ polynote_startup_env:
 py3_env_install: True
 
 py3_env_pip_pkgs:
-  - jep
   - jedi
   - virtualenv
   - ipython
@@ -24,6 +23,7 @@ py3_env_pip_pkgs:
   - numpy
   - pandas
 
+# jep requires JAVA_HOME and gcc. Installed by a specific task.
 py3_env_versioned_pip_pkgs:
-  - { pkg: 'jep', version: '3.9.0' }
   - { pkg: 'pyspark', version: '2.4.0' }
+#  - { pkg: 'jep', version: '3.9.0' }