diff --git a/actions/apt_action.go b/actions/apt_action.go
index 6f3988f8..8c39af03 100644
--- a/actions/apt_action.go
+++ b/actions/apt_action.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Yaml syntax:
  - action: apt
    recommends: bool
    unauthenticated: bool
+   source: directory
    packages:
      - package1
      - package2
@@ -19,10 +20,15 @@ Optional properties:
 
 - recommends -- boolean indicating if suggested packages will be installed
 - unauthenticated -- boolean indicating if unauthenticated packages can be installed
+- source -- directory containing local packages to be installed
 */
 package actions
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path"
+
 	"github.com/go-debos/debos"
 )
 
@@ -31,6 +37,7 @@ type AptAction struct {
 	Recommends       bool
 	Unauthenticated  bool
 	Packages         []string
+	Source           string // external path containing local packages
 }
 
 func (apt *AptAction) Run(context *debos.DebosContext) error {
@@ -48,6 +55,49 @@ func (apt *AptAction) Run(context *debos.DebosContext) error {
 	aptOptions = append(aptOptions, "install")
 	aptOptions = append(aptOptions, apt.Packages...)
 
+	if apt.Source != "" {
+		sourcedir := path.Join(context.RecipeDir, apt.Source)
+		destination, err := debos.RestrictedPath(context.Rootdir, "/usr/local/debs")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer os.RemoveAll(destination)
+
+		err = debos.CopyTree(sourcedir, destination)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		currentDir, _ := os.Getwd()
+		os.Chdir(destination)
+
+		// apt-ftparchive tries to read /etc/apt/apt.conf.d, add this path temporarily to prevent warnings
+		os.MkdirAll("/etc/apt/apt.conf.d", 0755)
+		defer os.RemoveAll("/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/")
+
+		err = debos.Command{}.Run("apt", "sh", "-c", "apt-ftparchive packages . > Packages")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		err = debos.Command{}.Run("apt", "sh", "-c", "apt-ftparchive release . > Release")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		os.Chdir(currentDir)
+
+		locallist, err := debos.RestrictedPath(context.Rootdir, "/etc/apt/sources.list.d/local.list")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer os.RemoveAll(locallist)
+		cmd := fmt.Sprintf("echo 'deb [trusted=yes] file:///usr/local/debs/ ./' > %s", locallist)
+		err = debos.Command{}.Run("apt", "sh", "-c", cmd)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	c := debos.NewChrootCommandForContext(*context)
 	c.AddEnv("DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive")
 
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index afe375fb..8ba5b310 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
     apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
         libostree-1-1 \
         apt-transport-https \
+        apt-utils \
         ca-certificates \
         debootstrap \
         pkg-config \