diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 51904c2..3a3f921 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ This will:
 
 * Configure Nexus through the API.
   * Create the `adhoc-package` repository.
+  * Create the `apt-hosted` repository.
   * Configure the NuGet `nuget-hosted` repository to accept pushing with an API key.
 * Configure Nexus through Groovy scripts.
   * Create the `npm-group`, `npm-hosted` and `npmjs.org-proxy` repositories.
diff --git a/provision/provision-nexus.sh b/provision/provision-nexus.sh
index 02dce78..4a3d8e3 100644
--- a/provision/provision-nexus.sh
+++ b/provision/provision-nexus.sh
@@ -191,6 +191,34 @@ http \
 EOF
 
 
+# create the apt-hosted apt repository.
+# see https://help.sonatype.com/repomanager3/formats/apt-repositories
+http \
+    --check-status \
+    --auth "$api_auth" \
+    POST \
+    https://$nexus_domain/service/rest/v1/repositories/apt/hosted \
+    <<EOF
+{
+  "name": "apt-hosted",
+  "online": true,
+  "storage": {
+    "blobStoreName": "default",
+    "strictContentTypeValidation": true,
+    "writePolicy": "allow_once"
+  },
+  "component": {
+    "proprietaryComponents": true
+  },
+  "apt": {
+    "distribution": "jammy"
+  },
+  "aptSigning": {
+    "keypair": $(cat /vagrant/shared/apt-hosted-private.key | jq --slurp --raw-input .),
+    "passphrase": "abracadabra"
+  }
+}
+EOF
 # create the pypi-hosted repository.
 http \
     --check-status \
diff --git a/provision/provision-nexus/src/main/groovy/provision.groovy b/provision/provision-nexus/src/main/groovy/provision.groovy
index 2814ea0..b25ca4c 100644
--- a/provision/provision-nexus/src/main/groovy/provision.groovy
+++ b/provision/provision-nexus/src/main/groovy/provision.groovy
@@ -25,11 +25,6 @@ capabilityRegistry.all.findAll {it.context().type().toString().startsWith("Outre
 //    ]}
 //])
 
-// create a apt repository backed by the default blob store.
-// see https://help.sonatype.com/repomanager3/formats/apt-repositories
-pgpPrivateKey = new File('/vagrant/shared/apt-hosted-private.key').getText('UTF-8')
-repository.createAptHosted("apt-hosted", "jammy", pgpPrivateKey, "abracadabra", "default", WritePolicy.ALLOW_ONCE, true)
-
 
 // create a npm repository backed by the default blob store.
 repository.createNpmHosted("npm-hosted", "default", true, WritePolicy.ALLOW_ONCE)