diff --git a/ansible/deploy.yml b/ansible/deploy.yml
index 80b7bfe..55e787a 100644
--- a/ansible/deploy.yml
+++ b/ansible/deploy.yml
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
   hosts: nuremberg-a
   tags: [services, mail]
   roles:
+    - role: firewall_alpine
     - role: docker_services
 
 # copenhagen-a: Gaming servers
diff --git a/ansible/inventory/host_vars/nuremberg-a.yml b/ansible/inventory/host_vars/nuremberg-a.yml
index 2061d0d..e06d9db 100644
--- a/ansible/inventory/host_vars/nuremberg-a.yml
+++ b/ansible/inventory/host_vars/nuremberg-a.yml
@@ -4,4 +4,6 @@ host_description: "Mail server (poste.io)"
 host_location: "Hetzner Cloud"
 ansible_python_interpreter: /usr/bin/python3
 # NOTE: Alpine host — UFW tasks are Debian-only.
-# Firewall rules for mail ports (25,465,587,993,143,80,443) managed separately.
+# Firewall: iptables + fail2ban managed by firewall_alpine role.
+# Mail ports (25,80,110,143,443,465,587,993,995) exposed via Docker
+# port mappings in ansible/services/poste-io/docker-compose.yml.
diff --git a/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/defaults/main.yml b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b096e28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+# firewall_alpine defaults
+
+# Enable iptables persistence via OpenRC
+firewall_alpine_persist: true
+
+# fail2ban SSH protection
+firewall_alpine_fail2ban_enabled: true
+firewall_alpine_fail2ban_maxretry: 10
diff --git a/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/handlers/main.yml b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/handlers/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cb6b17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/handlers/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+- name: Restore iptables
+  ansible.builtin.command: iptables-restore < /etc/iptables/rules-save
+  changed_when: true
+
+- name: Restart fail2ban
+  ansible.builtin.service:
+    name: fail2ban
+    state: restarted
diff --git a/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f8743f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+---
+# Firewall management for Alpine hosts.
+# Manages iptables persistence and fail2ban for SSH protection.
+#
+# NOTE: Docker manages port-forwarding rules for published container ports
+# (e.g. mail ports on nuremberg-a). This role only handles non-Docker rules.
+
+- name: Install iptables and fail2ban
+  community.general.apk:
+    name:
+      - iptables
+      - fail2ban
+    state: present
+
+# --- iptables persistence ---
+
+- name: Ensure /etc/iptables directory exists
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: /etc/iptables
+    state: directory
+    mode: '0700'
+
+- name: Deploy iptables rules
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: rules.v4.j2
+    dest: /etc/iptables/rules-save
+    mode: '0600'
+  notify: Restore iptables
+  when: firewall_alpine_persist | bool
+
+- name: Ensure iptables starts on boot
+  ansible.builtin.service:
+    name: iptables
+    enabled: true
+  when: firewall_alpine_persist | bool
+
+# --- fail2ban ---
+
+- name: Deploy fail2ban Alpine SSH jail
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: alpine-ssh.conf.j2
+    dest: /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/alpine-ssh.conf
+    mode: '0644'
+  notify: Restart fail2ban
+  when: firewall_alpine_fail2ban_enabled | bool
+
+- name: Enable fail2ban
+  ansible.builtin.service:
+    name: fail2ban
+    state: started
+    enabled: true
+  when: firewall_alpine_fail2ban_enabled | bool
diff --git a/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/templates/alpine-ssh.conf.j2 b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/templates/alpine-ssh.conf.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..77854f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/templates/alpine-ssh.conf.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# {{ ansible_managed }}
+# fail2ban SSH jails for Alpine Linux
+
+[sshd]
+enabled  = true
+filter   = alpine-sshd
+port     = ssh
+logpath  = /var/log/messages
+maxretry = {{ firewall_alpine_fail2ban_maxretry }}
+
+[sshd-ddos]
+enabled  = true
+filter   = alpine-sshd-ddos
+port     = ssh
+logpath  = /var/log/messages
+maxretry = {{ firewall_alpine_fail2ban_maxretry }}
diff --git a/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/templates/rules.v4.j2 b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/templates/rules.v4.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5182207
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/firewall_alpine/templates/rules.v4.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# {{ ansible_managed }}
+# iptables rules for {{ inventory_hostname }}
+#
+# Docker and Tailscale manage their own chains automatically.
+# This file captures non-Docker, non-Tailscale rules only.
+#
+# Mail ports (25,80,110,143,443,465,587,993,995) are exposed via
+# Docker port mappings in the poste-io docker-compose.yml — not here.
+
+*filter
+:INPUT ACCEPT [0:0]
+:FORWARD ACCEPT [0:0]
+:OUTPUT ACCEPT [0:0]
+COMMIT