diff --git a/library/apt b/library/apt
index ee1c974f337..8180776423f 100644
--- a/library/apt
+++ b/library/apt
@@ -67,6 +67,12 @@ options:
     required: false
     default: "no"
     choices: [ "yes", "no" ]
+  upgrade:
+    description:
+      - If yes, performs an apt-get upgrade. If dist, performs an apt-get dist-upgrade.
+    required: false
+    default: no
+    choices: [ "yes", "no", "dist"]
 author: Matthew Williams
 notes: []
 examples:
@@ -82,6 +88,8 @@ examples:
       description: Update the repository cache and update package C(ngnix) to latest version using default release C(squeeze-backport)
     - code: "apt: pkg=openjdk-6-jdk state=latest install_recommends=no"
       description: Install latest version of C(openjdk-6-jdk) ignoring C(install-reccomends)
+    - code: "apt: upgrade=dist"
+      description: Update all packages to the latest version
 '''
 
 import traceback
@@ -164,6 +172,17 @@ def remove(m, pkgspec, cache, purge=False):
             m.fail_json(msg="'apt-get remove %s' failed: %s" % (packages, err))
         m.exit_json(changed=True)
 
+def upgrade(m, mode="yes"):
+    upgrade_command = "upgrade"
+    if mode == "dist":
+        upgrade_command = "dist-upgrade"
+    cmd = "%s -q -y %s" % (APT, upgrade_command)
+    rc, out, err = m.run_command(cmd)
+    if rc:
+        m.fail_json(msg="'apt-get %s ' failed: %s" % (upgrade_command, err))
+    if "0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded." in out :
+        m.exit_json(changed=False)
+    m.exit_json(changed=True)
 
 def main():
     module = AnsibleModule(
@@ -174,7 +193,8 @@ def main():
             package = dict(default=None, aliases=['pkg', 'name']),
             default_release = dict(default=None, aliases=['default-release']),
             install_recommends = dict(default='yes', aliases=['install-recommends'], choices=['yes', 'no']),
-            force = dict(default='no', choices=['yes', 'no'])
+            force = dict(default='no', choices=['yes', 'no']),
+            upgrade = dict(default="no", choices=['yes', 'no', 'dist'])
         )
     )
 
@@ -188,8 +208,8 @@ def main():
         module.fail_json(msg="Cannot find apt-get")
 
     p = module.params
-    if p['package'] is None and p['update_cache'] != 'yes':
-        module.fail_json(msg='pkg=name and/or update_cache=yes is required')
+    if p['package'] is None and p['update_cache'] != 'yes' and p['upgrade'] == 'no':
+        module.fail_json(msg='pkg=name and/or update_cache=yes or upgrade=yes is required')
 
     install_recommends = module.boolean(p['install_recommends'])
 
@@ -207,6 +227,9 @@ def main():
 
     force_yes = module.boolean(p['force'])
 
+    if p['upgrade'] != 'no' and p['package'] is None:
+        upgrade(module, p['upgrade'])
+
     packages = p['package'].split(',')
     latest = p['state'] == 'latest'
     for package in packages: