diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/apt_key_bye.yml b/changelogs/fragments/apt_key_bye.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a1792fd9c7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/apt_key_bye.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - apt_key module - add notes to docs and errors to point at the CLI tool deprecation by Debian and alternatives
+  - apt_repository module - add notes to errors to point at the CLI tool deprecation by Debian and alternatives
+bugfixes:
+  - apt_key module - prevent tests from running when apt-key was removed
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/apt_key.py b/lib/ansible/modules/apt_key.py
index 3828f9a882b..8ae5c77dbfb 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/apt_key.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/apt_key.py
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ notes:
       To generate a full-fingerprint imported key: C(apt-key adv --list-public-keys --with-fingerprint --with-colons)."
     - If you specify both the key O(id) and the O(url) with O(state=present), the task can verify or add the key as needed.
     - Adding a new key requires an apt cache update (e.g. using the M(ansible.builtin.apt) module's C(update_cache) option).
+    - The C(apt-key) utility has been deprecated and removed in modern debian versions, use M(ansible.legacy.deb822_repository) as an alternative
+      to M(ansible.legacy.apt_repository) + apt_key combinations.
 requirements:
     - gpg
 seealso:
@@ -170,7 +172,6 @@ short_id:
 
 import os
 
-# FIXME: standardize into module_common
 from traceback import format_exc
 
 from ansible.module_utils.common.text.converters import to_native
@@ -196,8 +197,16 @@ def lang_env(module):
 def find_needed_binaries(module):
     global apt_key_bin
     global gpg_bin
-    apt_key_bin = module.get_bin_path('apt-key', required=True)
-    gpg_bin = module.get_bin_path('gpg', required=True)
+
+    try:
+        apt_key_bin = module.get_bin_path('apt-key', required=True)
+    except ValueError as e:
+        module.exit_json(f'{to_native(e)}. Apt-key has been deprecated. See the deb822_repository as an alternative.')
+
+    try:
+        gpg_bin = module.get_bin_path('gpg', required=True)
+    except ValueError as e:
+        module.exit_json(msg=to_native(e))
 
 
 def add_http_proxy(cmd):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/apt_repository.py b/lib/ansible/modules/apt_repository.py
index 27efa187b5b..39b2e58b83a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/apt_repository.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/apt_repository.py
@@ -475,7 +475,10 @@ class UbuntuSourcesList(SourcesList):
         self.apt_key_bin = self.module.get_bin_path('apt-key', required=False)
         self.gpg_bin = self.module.get_bin_path('gpg', required=False)
         if not self.apt_key_bin and not self.gpg_bin:
-            self.module.fail_json(msg='Either apt-key or gpg binary is required, but neither could be found')
+            msg = 'Either apt-key or gpg binary is required, but neither could be found.' \
+                  'The apt-key CLI has been deprecated and removed in modern Debian and derivatives, ' \
+                  'you might want to use "deb822_repository" instead.'
+            self.module.fail_json(msg)
 
     def __deepcopy__(self, memo=None):
         return UbuntuSourcesList(self.module)
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/apt_key/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/apt_key/tasks/main.yml
index 7aee56a77ef..5dcf5eb6336 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/apt_key/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/apt_key/tasks/main.yml
@@ -16,14 +16,18 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 # along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-- import_tasks: 'apt_key.yml'
-  when: ansible_distribution in ('Ubuntu', 'Debian')
+- name: apt key tests
+  when:
+    - ansible_distribution in ('Ubuntu', 'Debian')
+  block:
+  - shell: which apt-key
+    ignore_errors: True
+    register: has_aptkey
 
-- import_tasks: 'apt_key_inline_data.yml'
-  when: ansible_distribution in ('Ubuntu', 'Debian')
-
-- import_tasks: 'file.yml'
-  when: ansible_distribution in ('Ubuntu', 'Debian')
-
-- import_tasks: 'apt_key_binary.yml'
-  when: ansible_distribution in ('Ubuntu', 'Debian')
+  - name: actually test if i have apt-key
+    when: has_aptkey is success
+    block:
+      - import_tasks: 'apt_key.yml'
+      - import_tasks: 'apt_key_inline_data.yml'
+      - import_tasks: 'file.yml'
+      - import_tasks: 'apt_key_binary.yml'