diff --git a/i3pystatus/updates/aptget.py b/i3pystatus/updates/aptget.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acf583b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/i3pystatus/updates/aptget.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import os
+
+from i3pystatus.core.command import run_through_shell
+from i3pystatus.updates import Backend
+
+
+class AptGet(Backend):
+    """
+    Gets update count for Debian based distributions.
+
+    This mimics the Arch Linux `checkupdates` script
+    but with apt-get and written in python.
+    """
+
+    @property
+    def updates(self):
+        cache_dir = "/tmp/update-cache-" + os.getenv("USER")
+        if not os.path.exists(cache_dir):
+            os.mkdir(cache_dir)
+
+        command = "apt-get update -o Dir::State::Lists=" + cache_dir
+        run_through_shell(command)
+        command = "apt-get upgrade -s -o Dir::State::Lists=" + cache_dir
+        apt = run_through_shell(command)
+
+        update_count = 0
+        for line in apt.out.split("\n"):
+            if line.startswith("Inst"):
+                update_count += 1
+        return update_count
+
+Backend = AptGet