diff --git a/playbooks/group_vars/ci-backup.yaml b/playbooks/group_vars/ci-backup.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index bcfd6be7dd..0000000000
--- a/playbooks/group_vars/ci-backup.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-# TODO(mordred) Why is this set?
-purge_apt_sources: false
diff --git a/playbooks/group_vars/mailman.yaml b/playbooks/group_vars/mailman.yaml
index 4cfb82ce9d..eb4ad8a64b 100644
--- a/playbooks/group_vars/mailman.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/group_vars/mailman.yaml
@@ -2,5 +2,3 @@ exim_queue_interval: '1m'
 exim_queue_run_max: '50'
 exim_smtp_accept_max: '100'
 exim_smtp_accept_max_per_host: '10'
-# TODO(mordred) Why is this set?
-purge_apt_sources: false
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base-repos/defaults/main.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base-repos/defaults/main.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index d3f6ff49b1..0000000000
--- a/playbooks/roles/base-repos/defaults/main.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-purge_apt_sources: true
diff --git a/playbooks/roles/base-repos/tasks/Debian.yaml b/playbooks/roles/base-repos/tasks/Debian.yaml
index 596691d072..df6caad15c 100644
--- a/playbooks/roles/base-repos/tasks/Debian.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/roles/base-repos/tasks/Debian.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
     dest: /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/90no-translations
 
 - name: Replace sources.list file
-  when: purge_apt_sources
   copy:
     src: 'sources.list.{{ ansible_facts.lsb.codename }}.{{ ansible_facts.architecture }}'
     dest: /etc/apt/sources.list