diff --git a/roles/container-engine/docker/tasks/main.yml b/roles/container-engine/docker/tasks/main.yml
index 2530a29ef..74f99c7d7 100644
--- a/roles/container-engine/docker/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/container-engine/docker/tasks/main.yml
@@ -192,13 +192,11 @@
     - ansible_distribution == 'Ubuntu'
 
 # This is required to ensure any apt upgrade will not break kubernetes
-- name: Set docker pin priority to apt_preferences on Debian family
-  template:
-    src: "apt_preferences.d/debian_docker.j2"
-    dest: "/etc/apt/preferences.d/docker"
-    owner: "root"
-    mode: 0644
-  when: not (ansible_os_family in ["CoreOS", "Container Linux by CoreOS", "ClearLinux", "RedHat", "Suse"] or is_atomic)
+- name: Tell Debian hosts not to change the docker version with apt upgrade
+  dpkg_selections:
+    name: docker-ce
+    selection: hold
+  when: ansible_os_family in ["Debian"]
 
 - name: ensure docker started, remove our config if docker start failed and try again
   block:
diff --git a/roles/container-engine/docker/templates/apt_preferences.d/debian_docker.j2 b/roles/container-engine/docker/templates/apt_preferences.d/debian_docker.j2
deleted file mode 100644
index f21008b6c..000000000
--- a/roles/container-engine/docker/templates/apt_preferences.d/debian_docker.j2
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-Package: docker-ce
-Pin: version {{ docker_version }}.*
-Pin-Priority: 1001
\ No newline at end of file