diff --git a/tasks/preflight-checks.yml b/tasks/preflight-checks.yml
index aae429b..77cacd9 100644
--- a/tasks/preflight-checks.yml
+++ b/tasks/preflight-checks.yml
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
   run_once: true
   become: false
 
-
-
 - name: "[PREFLIGHT] Check if running on Proxmox host"
   ansible.builtin.stat:
     path: "/etc/pve/nodes"
@@ -72,12 +70,6 @@
   failed_when: not ssh_key_file.stat.exists
   changed_when: false
 
-# - name: "[PREFLIGHT] Check SSH key file exists"
-#   ansible.builtin.stat:
-#     path: "{{ ssh_key_path | expanduser }}"
-#   register: ssh_key_file
-#   failed_when: not ssh_key_file.stat.exists
-#   changed_when: false
 
 - name: "[PREFLIGHT] Validate VM ID is unique"
   ansible.builtin.command: "test ! -f /etc/pve/qemu-server/{{ vm_id }}.conf"
@@ -85,6 +77,20 @@
   failed_when: false
   register: vm_id_check
 
+- name: "[PREFLIGHT] Check if VM ID exists in Proxmox cluster"
+  ansible.builtin.command: "pvesh get /cluster/resources --type vm"
+  register: cluster_vms
+  changed_when: false
+
+- name: "[PREFLIGHT] Determine if VM ID is already used"
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    vm_id_exists: "{{ cluster_vms.stdout | from_json | selectattr('vmid', 'equalto', vm_id) | list | length > 0 }}"
+
+- name: "[PREFLIGHT] Fail if VM ID already exists"
+  ansible.builtin.fail:
+    msg: "VM ID {{ vm_id }} already exists in the Proxmox cluster!"
+  when: vm_id_exists
+
 - name: "[PREFLIGHT] Warn if VM ID already exists"
   ansible.builtin.debug:
     msg: "WARNING: VM ID {{ vm_id }} already exists. It will be skipped or updated."