diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 7a4af793..4d05b5ba 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ rabbitmq_release_version: "{{ _rabbitmq_release_version }}"
 rabbitmq_package_sha256: "{{ _rabbitmq_package_sha256 }}"
 rabbitmq_package_path: "{{ _rabbitmq_package_path }}"
 
+# Choose file, distro, external_repo for rabbitmq_install_method.
+rabbitmq_install_method: "file"
+
 # Name of the rabbitmq cluster
 rabbitmq_cluster_name: rabbitmq_cluster1
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/rabbitmq-using-external-repo-instead-of-pkg-file-8cdd00f58d3496ba.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/rabbitmq-using-external-repo-instead-of-pkg-file-8cdd00f58d3496ba.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..14a7701e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/rabbitmq-using-external-repo-instead-of-pkg-file-8cdd00f58d3496ba.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    RabbitMQ Server can now be installed from different
+    methods: a deb file (default), from standard
+    repository package and from external repository.
+    Current behavior is unchanged. Please define
+    ``rabbitmq_install_method: distro`` to use packages
+    provided by your distribution or
+    ``rabbitmq_install_method: external_repo`` to use
+    packages stored in an external repo. In the case
+    ``external_repo`` is used, the process will install
+    RabbitMQ from the packages hosted by packagecloud.io,
+    as recommended by RabbitMQ.
diff --git a/tasks/install_apt.yml b/tasks/install_apt.yml
index ee01602c..18dacc8d 100644
--- a/tasks/install_apt.yml
+++ b/tasks/install_apt.yml
@@ -27,10 +27,72 @@
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-apt-packages
 
-- name: Install the RabbitMQ package
+- name: Add rabbitmq apt-keys
+  apt_key:
+    id: "{{ item.hash_id }}"
+    keyserver: "{{ item.keyserver | default(omit) }}"
+    data: "{{ item.data | default(omit) }}"
+    url: "{{ item.url | default(omit) }}"
+    state: "present"
+  register: add_keys
+  until: add_keys|success
+  failed_when: false
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  when: rabbitmq_install_method == 'external_repo'
+  with_items: "{{ rabbitmq_gpg_keys }}"
+  tags:
+    - rabbitmq-apt-keys
+
+- name: Add rabbitmq apt-keys using fallback keyserver
+  apt_key:
+    id: "{{ item.hash_id }}"
+    keyserver: "{{ item.fallback_keyserver | default(omit) }}"
+    url: "{{ item.fallback_url | default(omit) }}"
+    state: "present"
+  register: add_keys_fallback
+  until: add_keys_fallback|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: "{{ rabbitmq_gpg_keys }}"
+  when:
+    - rabbitmq_install_method == 'external_repo'
+    - add_keys|failed
+    - (item.fallback_keyserver is defined or item.fallback_url is defined)
+  tags:
+    - rabbitmq-apt-keys
+
+- name: Add rabbitmq repo
+  apt_repository:
+    repo: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.repo }}"
+    state: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.state }}"
+    filename: "RabbitMQ"
+  register: add_repos
+  until: add_repos|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  when: rabbitmq_install_method == 'external_repo'
+  tags:
+    - rabbitmq-repos
+
+- name: Install the RabbitMQ package through a deb file
   apt:
     deb: "{{ rabbitmq_package_path }}"
   register: install_rabbitmq
+  when: rabbitmq_install_method == 'file'
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-package-deb
     - rabbitmq-apt-packages
+
+- name: Install RabbitMQ packages
+  package:
+    name: "{{ item }}"
+    state: "{{ rabbitmq_package_state }}"
+  register: install_packages
+  until: install_packages|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: "{{ rabbitmq_distro_packages }}"
+  when: rabbitmq_install_method != 'file'
+  tags:
+    - rabbitmq-apt-packages
diff --git a/tasks/install_yum.yml b/tasks/install_yum.yml
index 3d465f11..59c7ac7a 100644
--- a/tasks/install_yum.yml
+++ b/tasks/install_yum.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,52 @@
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-yum-packages
 
+- name: Add rabbitmq gpg-keys
+  rpm_key:
+    state: present
+    key: "{{ item.keyserver }}/{{ item.key_name }}"
+  register: add_keys
+  until: add_keys|success
+  failed_when: false
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: "{{ rabbitmq_gpg_keys }}"
+  when: rabbitmq_install_method != 'file'
+  tags:
+    - rabbitmq-gpg-keys
+
+- name: Add rabbitmq gpg-keys using fallback keyserver
+  rpm_key:
+    state: present
+    key: "{{ item.fallback_keyserver }}/{{ item.key_name }}"
+  register: add_keys
+  until: add_keys|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: "{{ rabbitmq_gpg_keys }}"
+  when:
+    - rabbitmq_install_method != 'file'
+    - add_keys|failed
+    - item.fallback_keyserver is defined
+  tags:
+    - rabbitmq-gpg-keys
+
+- name: Install RabbitMQ yum mirror
+  yum_repository:
+    name: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.name }}"
+    file:  "RabbitMQ"
+    description: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.description | default(omit) }}"
+    baseurl: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.baseurl }}"
+    repo_gpgcheck: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.repo_gpgcheck | default(omit) }}"
+    gpgcheck: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.gpgcheck | default(omit) }}"
+    state: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.state }}"
+    gpgkey: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.gpgkey | default(omit) }}"
+    sslverify: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.sslverify | default(omit) }}"
+    sslcacert: "{{ rabbitmq_repo.sslcacert | default(omit) }}"
+  when: rabbitmq_install_method != 'file'
+  tags:
+    - rabbitmq-repos
+
 - name: Install RabbitMQ package dependencies
   yum:
     pkg: "{{ item }}"
@@ -34,9 +80,22 @@
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-yum-packages
 
+- name: Install RabbitMQ package dependencies for external_repo usage
+  yum:
+    pkg: "{{ item }}"
+    state: "{{ rabbitmq_package_state }}"
+  register: install_packages
+  until: install_packages|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: "{{ rabbitmq_mirror_dependencies }}"
+  when: rabbitmq_install_method != 'file'
+  tags:
+    - rabbitmq-yum-packages
+
 - name: Install the RabbitMQ package
   yum:
-    name: "{{ rabbitmq_package_path }}"
+    name: "{{ (rabbitmq_install_method == 'file') | ternary(rabbitmq_package_path, rabbitmq_distro_packages) }}"
   register: install_rabbitmq
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-package-rpm
diff --git a/tasks/rabbitmq_pre_install.yml b/tasks/rabbitmq_pre_install.yml
index e1b6a95c..53a490bc 100644
--- a/tasks/rabbitmq_pre_install.yml
+++ b/tasks/rabbitmq_pre_install.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
   retries: 3
   delay: 10
   until: package_download|success
+  when: rabbitmq_install_method == 'file'
   tags:
     - rabbitmq-package-deb
     - rabbitmq-package-deb-get
diff --git a/vars/debian.yml b/vars/debian.yml
index c5090a2d..7bd7ffad 100644
--- a/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/vars/debian.yml
@@ -23,3 +23,17 @@ rabbitmq_dependencies:
   - erlang-base-hipe
   - erlang-nox
   - socat
+
+rabbitmq_distro_packages:
+  - rabbitmq-server
+
+rabbitmq_gpg_keys:
+  - key_name: 'rabbitmq'
+    keyserver: 'hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80'
+    fallback_keyserver: 'hkp://p80.pool.sks-keyservers.net:80'
+    hash_id: '0x6B73A36E6026DFCA'
+
+rabbitmq_apt_repo_url: "http://www.rabbitmq.com/debian"
+rabbitmq_repo:
+  repo: "deb {{ rabbitmq_apt_repo_url }} testing main"
+  state: "present"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vars/redhat.yml b/vars/redhat.yml
index d67ddfd8..f220a0f3 100644
--- a/vars/redhat.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat.yml
@@ -23,3 +23,25 @@ rabbitmq_dependencies:
   - erlang
   - openssl
   - socat
+
+rabbitmq_mirror_dependencies:
+  - pygpgme
+  - yum-utils
+
+rabbitmq_distro_packages:
+  - rabbitmq-server
+
+rabbitmq_gpg_keys:
+  - key_name: 'rabbitmq-release-signing-key.asc'
+    keyserver: 'https://www.rabbitmq.com'
+
+rabbitmq_repo:
+  name: rabbitmq_rabbitmq-server
+  description: "RabbitMQ Server Rolling Repository"
+  baseurl: "https://packagecloud.io/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-server/el/7/$basearch"
+  repo_gpgcheck: yes
+  state: "present"
+  gpgkey: "https://packagecloud.io/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-server/gpgkey"
+  # TODO(evrardjp) Move to ssl verify yes
+  #sslverify: no
+  #sslcacert: /etc/pki/tls/certs/ca-bundle.crt
\ No newline at end of file