diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/manifest b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/manifest
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..bf4d825a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/manifest
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+
+__package unattended-upgrades
+
+# in normal circumstances 20auto-upgrades is managed
+# by debconf and it can only contain these lines
+# https://wiki.debian.org/UnattendedUpgrades
+
+require='__package/unattended-upgrades' \
+    __file /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades \
+        --owner root \
+        --group root \
+        --mode 644 \
+        --source - << EOF
+APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1";
+APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "1";
+EOF
+
+# lets not write into upstream 50unattended-upgrades file,
+# but use our own config files to avoid clashes
+
+ml_conf='/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/51unattended-upgrades-mail'
+bl_conf='/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/51unattended-upgrades-blacklist'
+
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/mail" ]
+then
+    mail="$( cat "$__object/parameter/mail" )"
+else
+    mail=''
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$mail" ]
+then
+    if [ -f "$__object/parameter/mail-on-error" ]
+    then
+        mail_on_error='true'
+    else
+        mail_on_error='false'
+    fi
+
+    __file "$ml_conf" \
+        --owner root \
+        --group root \
+        --mode 644 \
+        --source - << EOF
+Unattended-Upgrade::Mail "$mail";
+Unattended-Upgrade::MailOnlyOnError "$mail_on_error";
+EOF
+
+else
+    __file "$ml_conf" --state absent
+fi
+
+if [ -f "$__object/parameter/blacklist" ]
+then
+    bl='Unattended-Upgrade::Package-Blacklist {';
+
+    while read -r l
+    do
+        bl="$( printf '%s\n"%s";\n' "$bl" "$l" )"
+    done \
+        < "$__object/parameter/blacklist"
+
+    bl="$( printf '%s\n}' "$bl" )"
+
+    echo "$bl" \
+        | __file "$bl_conf" \
+            --owner root \
+            --group root \
+            --mode 644 \
+            --source -
+else
+    __file "$bl_conf" --state absent
+fi
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/parameter/boolean b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/parameter/boolean
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..edcaa12a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/parameter/boolean
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+mail-on-error
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/parameter/optional b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/parameter/optional
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fa7963cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/parameter/optional
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+mail
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/parameter/optional_multiple b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/parameter/optional_multiple
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27b9ffc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/parameter/optional_multiple
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+blacklist
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/singleton b/cdist/conf/type/__apt_unattended_upgrades/singleton
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b