diff --git a/debian/apt-daily-upgrade.service b/debian/apt-daily-upgrade.service
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf2776ac8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/apt-daily-upgrade.service
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Daily apt upgrade and clean activities
+Documentation=man:apt(8)
+ConditionACPower=true
+After=apt-daily.service
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=/usr/lib/apt/apt.systemd.daily install
diff --git a/debian/apt-daily-upgrade.timer b/debian/apt-daily-upgrade.timer
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..79caf3b5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/apt-daily-upgrade.timer
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Daily apt upgrade and clean activities
+After=apt-daily.timer
+
+[Timer]
+OnCalendar=*-*-* 6:00
+RandomizedDelaySec=60m
+Persistent=true
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=timers.target
diff --git a/debian/apt-daily.service b/debian/apt-daily.service
index 904ed5d51..4a946afdd 100644
--- a/debian/apt-daily.service
+++ b/debian/apt-daily.service
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 [Unit]
-Description=Daily apt activities
+Description=Daily apt download activities
 Documentation=man:apt(8)
 ConditionACPower=true
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
-ExecStart=/usr/lib/apt/apt.systemd.daily
+ExecStart=/usr/lib/apt/apt.systemd.daily update
 
diff --git a/debian/apt-daily.timer b/debian/apt-daily.timer
index 8ac13b0e9..735da2440 100644
--- a/debian/apt-daily.timer
+++ b/debian/apt-daily.timer
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 [Unit]
-Description=Daily apt activities
+Description=Daily apt download activities
 After=network-online.target
 Wants=network-online.target
 
 [Timer]
-OnCalendar=*-*-* 6:00
-RandomizedDelaySec=60m
+OnCalendar=*-*-* 6,18:00
+RandomizedDelaySec=12h
 Persistent=true
 
 [Install]
diff --git a/debian/apt.systemd.daily b/debian/apt.systemd.daily
index 03d41bae5..54a8871ea 100755
--- a/debian/apt.systemd.daily
+++ b/debian/apt.systemd.daily
@@ -384,6 +384,7 @@ if [ $UpdateInterval -eq 0 ] &&
     exit 0
 fi
 
+if [ "$1" = "update" -o -z "$1" ] ; then
     # deal with BackupArchiveInterval
     do_cache_backup $BackupArchiveInterval
 
@@ -433,7 +434,9 @@ if [ $UPDATED -eq 1 ] && check_stamp $DOWNLOAD_UPGRADEABLE_STAMP $DownloadUpgrad
     else
 	debug_echo "download upgradable (not run)"
     fi
+fi
 
+if [ "$1" = "install" -o -z "$1" ] ; then
     # auto upgrade all upgradeable packages
     UPGRADE_STAMP=/var/lib/apt/periodic/upgrade-stamp
     if which unattended-upgrade >/dev/null 2>&1 && check_stamp $UPGRADE_STAMP $UnattendedUpgradeInterval; then
@@ -475,6 +478,7 @@ fi
 
     # check cache size 
     check_size_constraints
+fi
 
 #
 #     vim: set sts=4 ai :
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 5f990c72e..247022398 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ override_dh_systemd_start:
 	# Do not restart "apt-daily.service" because this script runs
 	# unattended-upgrades. So if apt itself is upgraded as part of
 	# an unattended-upgrades run it would kill itself
-	dh_systemd_start apt-daily.timer
+	dh_systemd_start apt-daily.timer apt-daily-upgrade.timer
 
 override_dh_auto_configure-arch: flags=-DWITH_DOC=OFF
 override_dh_auto_configure-indep: flags=-DWITH_DOC=ON