diff --git a/packaging/os/apt.py b/packaging/os/apt.py
index 84a019ae203..cafe57eaf15 100755
--- a/packaging/os/apt.py
+++ b/packaging/os/apt.py
@@ -94,6 +94,13 @@ options:
        - Path to a .deb package on the remote machine.
      required: false
      version_added: "1.6"
+  autoremove:
+    description:
+     - If C(yes), remove unused dependency packages for all module states except I(build-dep).
+    required: false
+    default: no
+    choices: [ "yes", "no" ]
+    aliases: [ 'autoclean']
 requirements: [ python-apt, aptitude ]
 author: "Matthew Williams (@mgwilliams)"
 notes:
@@ -342,7 +349,7 @@ def expand_pkgspec_from_fnmatches(m, pkgspec, cache):
 def install(m, pkgspec, cache, upgrade=False, default_release=None,
             install_recommends=None, force=False,
             dpkg_options=expand_dpkg_options(DPKG_OPTIONS),
-            build_dep=False):
+            build_dep=False, autoremove=False):
     pkg_list = []
     packages = ""
     pkgspec = expand_pkgspec_from_fnmatches(m, pkgspec, cache)
@@ -376,13 +383,18 @@ def install(m, pkgspec, cache, upgrade=False, default_release=None,
         else:
             check_arg = ''
 
+        if autoremove:
+            autoremove = '--auto-remove'
+        else:
+            autoremove = ''
+
         for (k,v) in APT_ENV_VARS.iteritems():
             os.environ[k] = v
 
         if build_dep:
             cmd = "%s -y %s %s %s build-dep %s" % (APT_GET_CMD, dpkg_options, force_yes, check_arg, packages)
         else:
-            cmd = "%s -y %s %s %s install %s" % (APT_GET_CMD, dpkg_options, force_yes, check_arg, packages)
+            cmd = "%s -y %s %s %s %s install %s" % (APT_GET_CMD, dpkg_options, force_yes, autoremove, check_arg, packages)
 
         if default_release:
             cmd += " -t '%s'" % (default_release,)
@@ -465,7 +477,7 @@ def install_deb(m, debs, cache, force, install_recommends, dpkg_options):
         m.exit_json(changed=changed, stdout=retvals.get('stdout',''), stderr=retvals.get('stderr',''))
 
 def remove(m, pkgspec, cache, purge=False,
-           dpkg_options=expand_dpkg_options(DPKG_OPTIONS)):
+           dpkg_options=expand_dpkg_options(DPKG_OPTIONS), autoremove=False):
     pkg_list = []
     pkgspec = expand_pkgspec_from_fnmatches(m, pkgspec, cache)
     for package in pkgspec:
@@ -486,7 +498,12 @@ def remove(m, pkgspec, cache, purge=False,
         for (k,v) in APT_ENV_VARS.iteritems():
             os.environ[k] = v
 
-        cmd = "%s -q -y %s %s remove %s" % (APT_GET_CMD, dpkg_options, purge, packages)
+        if autoremove:
+            autoremove = '--auto-remove'
+        else:
+            autoremove = ''
+
+        cmd = "%s -q -y %s %s %s remove %s" % (APT_GET_CMD, dpkg_options, purge, autoremove, packages)
 
         if m.check_mode:
             m.exit_json(changed=True)
@@ -558,7 +575,8 @@ def main():
             install_recommends = dict(default=None, aliases=['install-recommends'], type='bool'),
             force = dict(default='no', type='bool'),
             upgrade = dict(choices=['no', 'yes', 'safe', 'full', 'dist']),
-            dpkg_options = dict(default=DPKG_OPTIONS)
+            dpkg_options = dict(default=DPKG_OPTIONS),
+            autoremove = dict(type='bool', default=False, aliases=['autoclean'])
         ),
         mutually_exclusive = [['package', 'upgrade', 'deb']],
         required_one_of = [['package', 'upgrade', 'update_cache', 'deb']],
@@ -592,6 +610,7 @@ def main():
     updated_cache_time = 0
     install_recommends = p['install_recommends']
     dpkg_options = expand_dpkg_options(p['dpkg_options'])
+    autoremove = p['autoremove']
 
     # Deal with deprecated aliases
     if p['state'] == 'installed':
@@ -674,7 +693,7 @@ def main():
                     default_release=p['default_release'],
                     install_recommends=install_recommends,
                     force=force_yes, dpkg_options=dpkg_options,
-                    build_dep=state_builddep)
+                    build_dep=state_builddep, autoremove=autoremove)
             (success, retvals) = result
             retvals['cache_updated']=updated_cache
             retvals['cache_update_time']=updated_cache_time
@@ -683,7 +702,7 @@ def main():
             else:
                 module.fail_json(**retvals)
         elif p['state'] == 'absent':
-            remove(module, packages, cache, p['purge'], dpkg_options)
+            remove(module, packages, cache, p['purge'], dpkg_options, autoremove)
 
     except apt.cache.LockFailedException:
         module.fail_json(msg="Failed to lock apt for exclusive operation")