diff --git a/bin/deploy-on b/bin/deploy-on
index 8917d3a..fe8e636 100755
--- a/bin/deploy-on
+++ b/bin/deploy-on
@@ -1,75 +1,81 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 # trigger a puppet deployment on a given SWH machine
 # see https://intranet.softwareheritage.org/index.php?title=Puppet_setup
 
 info () {
     echo "*** swh-deploy: $1"
 }
 
 prompt () {
     echo -n "*** swh-deploy: $1"
 }
 
 die_usage () {
     echo "Usage: bin/deploy-on [OPTION] HOST..."
     echo "E.g.:  bin/deploy-on             worker01 worker03"
     echo "       bin/deploy-on --no-master worker02"
     exit 1
 }
 
 DOMAIN="internal.softwareheritage.org"
 MASTER="pergamon.${DOMAIN}"
 SSH="ssh -t"
 
 # command line parsing
 
 deploy_on_master="yes"
 test_run="yes"
+apt_update="yes"
 
 if [ "$1" = "-h" -o "$1" = "--help" ] ; then
     die_usage
 fi
 if [ "$1" = "--no-master" ] ; then
     deploy_on_master="no"
     shift
 fi
 
 if [ -z "$1" ] ; then
     die_usage
 fi
 
 if [ "$deploy_on_master" = "yes" ] ; then
     info "deploying recipes on ${MASTER}..."
     $SSH "$MASTER" "sudo /usr/local/sbin/swh-puppet-master-deploy"
     info "master ok."
 fi
 
 for host in "$@" ; do
 
+    if [ "$apt_update" = "yes" ] ; then
+	info "apt-get update on ${host}..."
+	$SSH "$host" "sudo apt-get update -qq"
+    fi
+
     if [ "$test_run" = "yes" ] ; then
 	info "starting test run on ${host}..."
     	$SSH "$host" "sudo /usr/local/sbin/swh-puppet-test"
     	info "test run ok."
     fi
 
     while true ; do
 	prompt "does the above diff for ${host} look good? [y/n/q] "
 	read yn
 	case $yn in
 	    [yY] )
 		info "deploying on ${host}..."
 		$SSH "$host" "sudo /usr/local/sbin/swh-puppet-apply"
 		info "deployment ok. Bye."
 		break ;;
 	    [nN] )
 		info "skipping deployment on ${host}, as requested."
 		break ;;
 	    [qQ] )
 		info "aborting deployment. Bye."
 		exit 2 ;;
 	    * ) continue ;;
 	esac
     done
 
 done