diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c0d5f85..2028e2a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 * [Classes](#classes)
   * [apt](#apt)
   * [apt::apticron](#apt-apticron)
-  * [apt::cron::download](#apt-cron-download)
   * [apt::cron::dist_upgrade](#apt-cron-dist_upgrade)
   * [apt::dist_upgrade](#apt-dist_upgrade)
   * [apt::dist_upgrade::initiator](#apt-dist_upgrade-initiator)
@@ -50,6 +49,9 @@ Ubuntu support is lagging behind but not absent either.
 
 ## Upgrade Notice<a name="upgrade-notice"></a>
 
+ * The `$apt_cron_hours` global variable is deprecated.
+   Use `apt::cron::dist_upgrade`'s `cron_hours` parameter instead.
+
  * The default value of the `$repos` parameter was removed since the logic is
    now in the `apt::params` class. If you have explicitly set `$repos` to
    'auto' in your manifests, you should remove this.
@@ -321,29 +323,19 @@ Example usage:
     }
 
 
-## apt::cron::download<a name="apt-cron-download"></a>
-
-This class sets up `cron-apt` so that it downloads upgradable packages, does not
-actually do any upgrade and emails when the output changes.
-
-`cron-apt` defaults to run at 4 AM. You may want to set the
-`$apt_cron_hours` variable before you include the class: its value will
-be passed as the "hours" parameter of a cronjob. Example:
-
-    # Run cron-apt every three hours
-    $apt_cron_hours = '*/3'
-
-Note that the default 4 AM cronjob won't be disabled.
-
-
 ## apt::cron::dist_upgrade<a name="apt-cron-dist_upgrade"></a>
 
 This class sets up cron-apt so that it dist-upgrades the system and
 emails when upgrades are performed.
 
-See [apt::cron::download](#apt-cron-download) above if you need to run `cron-apt` more often
-than once a day.
+`cron-apt` defaults to run at 4 AM. You may want to set the
+`$cron_hours` class parameter before you include the class: its value will
+be passed as the "hours" parameter of a cronjob. Example:
 
+    # Run cron-apt every three hours
+    class { 'apt::cron::dist_upgrade': cron_hours => '*/3' }
+
+Note that the default 4 AM cronjob won't be disabled.
 
 ## apt::dist_upgrade<a name="apt-dist_upgrade"></a>
 
diff --git a/manifests/cron/base.pp b/manifests/cron/base.pp
deleted file mode 100644
index 39fc306..0000000
--- a/manifests/cron/base.pp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-class apt::cron::base {
-
-  package { 'cron-apt': ensure => installed }
-
-  case $apt_cron_hours {
-    '': {}
-    default: {
-      # cron-apt defaults to run every night at 4 o'clock
-      # so we try not to run at the same time.
-      cron { 'apt_cron_every_N_hours':
-        command => 'test -x /usr/sbin/cron-apt && /usr/sbin/cron-apt',
-        user    => root,
-        hour    => "${apt_cron_hours}",
-        minute  => 10,
-        require => Package['cron-apt'],
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-}
diff --git a/manifests/cron/dist_upgrade.pp b/manifests/cron/dist_upgrade.pp
index 74403bb..e1a03ed 100644
--- a/manifests/cron/dist_upgrade.pp
+++ b/manifests/cron/dist_upgrade.pp
@@ -1,4 +1,23 @@
-class apt::cron::dist_upgrade inherits apt::cron::base {
+class apt::cron::dist_upgrade (
+  $cron_hours = '',
+) {
+
+  package { 'cron-apt': ensure => installed }
+
+  case $cron_hours {
+    '': {}
+    default: {
+      # cron-apt defaults to run every night at 4 o'clock
+      # so we try not to run at the same time.
+      cron { 'apt_cron_every_N_hours':
+        command => 'test -x /usr/sbin/cron-apt && /usr/sbin/cron-apt',
+        user    => root,
+        hour    => "${cron_hours}",
+        minute  => 10,
+        require => Package['cron-apt'],
+      }
+    }
+  }
 
   $action = "autoclean -y
 dist-upgrade -y -o APT::Get::Show-Upgraded=true -o 'DPkg::Options::=--force-confold'
diff --git a/manifests/cron/download.pp b/manifests/cron/download.pp
deleted file mode 100644
index 4a19fec..0000000
--- a/manifests/cron/download.pp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-class apt::cron::download inherits apt::cron::base {
-
-  $action = "autoclean -y
-dist-upgrade -d -y -o APT::Get::Show-Upgraded=true
-"
-
-  file { '/etc/cron-apt/action.d/4-dist-upgrade':
-    ensure => absent,
-  }
-
-  file { '/etc/cron-apt/action.d/3-download':
-    content => $action,
-    require => Package[cron-apt],
-    owner   => root,
-    group   => 0,
-    mode    => '0644';
-  }
-
-  file { '/etc/cron-apt/config.d/MAILON':
-    content => "MAILON=changes\n",
-    require => Package[cron-apt],
-    owner   => root,
-    group   => 0,
-    mode    => '0644';
-  }
-
-}