diff --git a/steward/ansible/bundled/maintenance/system_update.yml b/steward/ansible/bundled/maintenance/system_update.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f94bebe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/steward/ansible/bundled/maintenance/system_update.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+---
+# description: Update all OS packages; optionally restart affected services and reboot if one is pending.
+# steward:category: maintenance
+# steward:confirm: true
+#
+# Cross-distro (apt / dnf-yum). Flags (set in the run form):
+#   restart_services=true   after the upgrade, restart every service that needs
+#                           it (Debian: needrestart -r a; installed if missing).
+#   reboot_if_required=true reboot the host only if the update flagged a pending
+#                           reboot (Debian: /var/run/reboot-required;
+#                           RHEL: needs-restarting -r). Never reboots otherwise.
+- name: System package update
+  hosts: all
+  become: true
+  gather_facts: true
+  vars:
+    restart_services: false
+    reboot_if_required: false
+  tasks:
+    # ── Debian / Ubuntu ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Upgrade all packages (apt)
+      ansible.builtin.apt:
+        update_cache: true
+        upgrade: dist
+        autoremove: true
+      when: ansible_pkg_mgr == "apt"
+
+    - name: Ensure needrestart is present (apt, for service restarts)
+      ansible.builtin.apt:
+        name: needrestart
+        state: present
+      when:
+        - restart_services | bool
+        - ansible_pkg_mgr == "apt"
+
+    - name: Restart services that need it (apt / needrestart)
+      ansible.builtin.command: needrestart -r a
+      register: needrestart_run
+      changed_when: needrestart_run.rc == 0
+      failed_when: false
+      when:
+        - restart_services | bool
+        - ansible_pkg_mgr == "apt"
+
+    # ── RHEL / Fedora ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Upgrade all packages (dnf/yum)
+      ansible.builtin.dnf:
+        name: "*"
+        state: latest
+      when: ansible_pkg_mgr in ("dnf", "yum")
+
+    - name: Restart services that need it (dnf / needs-restarting)
+      ansible.builtin.shell: needs-restarting -s | xargs -r -n1 systemctl try-restart
+      register: rhel_restart
+      changed_when: rhel_restart.rc == 0
+      failed_when: false
+      when:
+        - restart_services | bool
+        - ansible_pkg_mgr in ("dnf", "yum")
+
+    # ── Reboot only if one is pending ─────────────────────────────────────────
+    - name: Check pending reboot (Debian)
+      ansible.builtin.stat:
+        path: /var/run/reboot-required
+      register: deb_reboot
+      when: ansible_pkg_mgr == "apt"
+
+    - name: Check pending reboot (RHEL)
+      ansible.builtin.command: needs-restarting -r
+      register: rhel_reboot
+      changed_when: false
+      failed_when: false
+      when: ansible_pkg_mgr in ("dnf", "yum")
+
+    - name: Reboot if required
+      ansible.builtin.reboot:
+        msg: "Reboot triggered by Steward system_update"
+        reboot_timeout: 900
+      when:
+        - reboot_if_required | bool
+        - (ansible_pkg_mgr == "apt" and deb_reboot.stat.exists)
+          or (ansible_pkg_mgr in ("dnf", "yum") and (rhel_reboot.rc | default(0)) != 0)