diff --git a/Manual.org b/Manual.org
index 601e81e..a8710f0 100644
--- a/Manual.org
+++ b/Manual.org
@@ -5501,6 +5501,7 @@ The tool ubuntu-drivers is used to install the matching driver version for nvidi
   when: (ansible_virtualization_type != "virtualbox" and ansible_virtualization_role != "guest")
         # ubuntu-drivers-common tries to autoinstall
         # conflicting packages for virtualbox in Ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04 :(
+        # also alternates between virtualbox-guest-dkms and virtualbox-guest-dkms-hwe on successive runs
 #+END_SRC
 ** autoinstall-virtualbox-guest
 :PROPERTIES:
@@ -5512,6 +5513,10 @@ This role installs the guest additions for virtualbox guests on Ubuntu 18.04
 ---
 # file roles/autoinstall-virtualbox-guest/tasks/main.yml
 
+- name: collect facts about installed packages
+  package_facts:
+    manager: "apt"
+
 - name: install virtualbox guest additions
   block:
     - name: install packages
@@ -5519,8 +5524,8 @@ This role installs the guest additions for virtualbox guests on Ubuntu 18.04
         state: present
         name:
           - dkms
-          - virtualbox-guest-x11-hwe
-          - virtualbox-guest-dkms-hwe
+          - '{{ "virtualbox-guest-x11-hwe" if "xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04" in ansible_facts.packages else "virtualbox-guest-x11" }}'
+          - '{{ "virtualbox-guest-dkms-hwe" if "linux-generic-hwe-18.04" in ansible_facts.packages else "virtualbox-guest-dkms" }}'
 
     # TODO: set xineliboutput as frontend
   when:
diff --git a/roles/autoinstall-ubuntu-drivers/tasks/main.yml b/roles/autoinstall-ubuntu-drivers/tasks/main.yml
index 802ca2e..2ec6898 100644
--- a/roles/autoinstall-ubuntu-drivers/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/autoinstall-ubuntu-drivers/tasks/main.yml
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@
   when: (ansible_virtualization_type != "virtualbox" and ansible_virtualization_role != "guest")
         # ubuntu-drivers-common tries to autoinstall
         # conflicting packages for virtualbox in Ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04 :(
+        # also alternates between virtualbox-guest-dkms and virtualbox-guest-dkms-hwe on successive runs
diff --git a/roles/autoinstall-virtualbox-guest/tasks/main.yml b/roles/autoinstall-virtualbox-guest/tasks/main.yml
index 6840ef5..4363b77 100644
--- a/roles/autoinstall-virtualbox-guest/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/autoinstall-virtualbox-guest/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 ---
 # file roles/autoinstall-virtualbox-guest/tasks/main.yml
 
+- name: collect facts about installed packages
+  package_facts:
+    manager: "apt"
+
 - name: install virtualbox guest additions
   block:
     - name: install packages
@@ -8,8 +12,8 @@
         state: present
         name:
           - dkms
-          - virtualbox-guest-x11-hwe
-          - virtualbox-guest-dkms-hwe
+          - '{{ "virtualbox-guest-x11-hwe" if "xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04" in ansible_facts.packages else "virtualbox-guest-x11" }}'
+          - '{{ "virtualbox-guest-dkms-hwe" if "linux-generic-hwe-18.04" in ansible_facts.packages else "virtualbox-guest-dkms" }}'
 
     # TODO: set xineliboutput as frontend
   when: