diff --git a/executor.go b/executor.go
index b250ef7..2be708b 100644
--- a/executor.go
+++ b/executor.go
@@ -282,6 +282,11 @@ func (e *Executor) runRole(ctx context.Context, hosts []string, roleRef *RoleRef
 
 // runTaskOnHosts runs a task on all hosts.
 func (e *Executor) runTaskOnHosts(ctx context.Context, hosts []string, task *Task, play *Play) error {
+	// run_once executes the task only on the first host in the current batch.
+	if task.RunOnce && len(hosts) > 1 {
+		hosts = hosts[:1]
+	}
+
 	// Check tags
 	tags := append(append([]string{}, play.Tags...), task.Tags...)
 	if !e.matchesTags(tags) {
diff --git a/executor_test.go b/executor_test.go
index b94fcc1..5d425c9 100644
--- a/executor_test.go
+++ b/executor_test.go
@@ -138,6 +138,45 @@ func TestExecutor_RunPlay_Good_SerialBatchesHosts(t *testing.T) {
 	}, gathered)
 }
 
+func TestExecutor_RunPlay_Good_RunOnceTaskOnlyRunsOnFirstHost(t *testing.T) {
+	e := NewExecutor("/tmp")
+	e.SetInventoryDirect(&Inventory{
+		All: &InventoryGroup{
+			Hosts: map[string]*Host{
+				"host1": {},
+				"host2": {},
+			},
+		},
+	})
+
+	var executed []string
+	e.OnTaskStart = func(host string, task *Task) {
+		executed = append(executed, host)
+	}
+
+	gatherFacts := false
+	play := &Play{
+		Name:        "run once",
+		Hosts:       "all",
+		GatherFacts: &gatherFacts,
+		Tasks: []Task{
+			{
+				Name:     "single host",
+				Module:   "debug",
+				Args:     map[string]any{"msg": "ok"},
+				Register: "result",
+				RunOnce:  true,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	require.NoError(t, e.runPlay(context.Background(), play))
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"host1"}, executed)
+	assert.NotNil(t, e.results["host1"]["result"])
+	_, ok := e.results["host2"]
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+}
+
 func TestExecutor_RunPlay_Good_PlayTagsApplyToUntaggedTasks(t *testing.T) {
 	e := NewExecutor("/tmp")
 	e.SetInventoryDirect(&Inventory{