diff --git a/roles/network_plugin/flannel/handlers/main.yml b/roles/network_plugin/flannel/handlers/main.yml
index e3e937a1f..412563394 100644
--- a/roles/network_plugin/flannel/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/roles/network_plugin/flannel/handlers/main.yml
@@ -4,14 +4,18 @@
   failed_when: false
   notify: Flannel | restart docker
 
+# special cases for atomic because it defaults to live-restore: true
+# So we disable live-restore to pickup the new flannel IP.  After
+# we enable it, we have to restart docker again to pickup the new
+# setting and restore the original behavior
 - name: Flannel | restart docker
   command: /bin/true
   notify:
     - Flannel | reload systemd
     - Flannel | reload docker.socket
-    - Flannel | reconfigure docker restart behavior (atomic)
+    - Flannel | configure docker live-restore true (atomic)
     - Flannel | reload docker
-    - Flannel | restore docker restart behavior (atomic)
+    - Flannel | configure docker live-restore false (atomic)
     - Flannel | reload docker (atomic)
     - Flannel | pause while Docker restarts
     - Flannel | wait for docker
@@ -25,7 +29,7 @@
     state: restarted
   when: ansible_os_family in ['CoreOS', 'Container Linux by CoreOS']
 
-- name: Flannel | reconfigure docker restart behavior (atomic)
+- name: Flannel | configure docker live-restore true (atomic)
   replace:
     name: /etc/docker/daemon.json
     regexp: '"live-restore":.*true'
@@ -37,7 +41,7 @@
     name: docker
     state: restarted
 
-- name: Flannel | restore docker restart behavior (atomic)
+- name: Flannel | configure docker live-restore false (atomic)
   replace:
     name: /etc/docker/daemon.json
     regexp: '"live-restore": false'