diff --git a/roles/btrbk/tasks/alpine.yml b/roles/btrbk/tasks/alpine.yml
index c4b4b7c..04f4c8a 100644
--- a/roles/btrbk/tasks/alpine.yml
+++ b/roles/btrbk/tasks/alpine.yml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 - name: install packages
   apk:
     name:
-      - btrbk
-      - coreutils  # needed by btrbk
       - btrfs-progs
+      - mbuffer
+      - openssh
+      - perl
diff --git a/roles/btrbk/tasks/debian.yml b/roles/btrbk/tasks/debian.yml
index 3d8ae55..66f6506 100644
--- a/roles/btrbk/tasks/debian.yml
+++ b/roles/btrbk/tasks/debian.yml
@@ -2,5 +2,8 @@
 - name: install packages
   apt:
     name:
-      - btrbk
       - btrfs-progs
+      - mbuffer
+      - openssh-client
+      - openssh-server
+      - perl
diff --git a/roles/btrbk/tasks/main.yml b/roles/btrbk/tasks/main.yml
index 3f2d825..d134e75 100644
--- a/roles/btrbk/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/btrbk/tasks/main.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@
   include_tasks: debian.yml
   when: ansible_distribution in ["Debian", "Ubuntu"]
 
+- name: create btrbk directory config
+  file:
+    state: directory
+    path: /etc/btrbk
+
+- name: download btrbk executable
+  get_url:
+    url: '{{ btrbk_url }}'
+    dest: /usr/local/bin/btrbk
+    mode: '0755'
+
 - name: copy btrbk config
   copy:
     src: "host_files/btrbk/{{ ansible_hostname }}/btrbk.conf"
@@ -39,9 +50,10 @@
     owner: btrbk
     mode: '0644'
 
-- name: add btrbk ssh keys to lbu
+- name: add btrbk files to lbu
   lbu:
     include:
+      - /usr/local/bin/btrbk
       - /var/lib/btrbk/.ssh/id_ed25519
       - /var/lib/btrbk/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
       - /var/lib/btrbk/.ssh/authorized_keys
diff --git a/roles/btrbk/vars/main.yml b/roles/btrbk/vars/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d3588f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/btrbk/vars/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+btrbk_url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/digint/btrbk/master/btrbk