diff --git a/inventories/chaosknoten/hosts.yaml b/inventories/chaosknoten/hosts.yaml
index 1c3f84e..c737f34 100644
--- a/inventories/chaosknoten/hosts.yaml
+++ b/inventories/chaosknoten/hosts.yaml
@@ -291,5 +291,3 @@ msmtp_hosts:
 renovate_hosts:
   hosts:
     renovate:
-secrets_hosts:
-  hosts:
diff --git a/inventories/external/hosts.yaml b/inventories/external/hosts.yaml
index 5d0f9d4..435a9bf 100644
--- a/inventories/external/hosts.yaml
+++ b/inventories/external/hosts.yaml
@@ -22,5 +22,3 @@ infrastructure_authorized_keys_hosts:
 ansible_pull_hosts:
   hosts:
     status:
-secrets_hosts:
-  hosts:
diff --git a/inventories/z9/hosts.yaml b/inventories/z9/hosts.yaml
index eab3880..1b37c59 100644
--- a/inventories/z9/hosts.yaml
+++ b/inventories/z9/hosts.yaml
@@ -57,5 +57,3 @@ ansible_pull_hosts:
     light:
     waybackproxy:
     yate:
-secrets_hosts:
-  hosts:
diff --git a/playbooks/deploy.yaml b/playbooks/deploy.yaml
index b7ce104..ad866cc 100644
--- a/playbooks/deploy.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/deploy.yaml
@@ -6,13 +6,6 @@
   tags:
     - base_config
 
-- name: Ensure secrets deployment on secrets_hosts
-  hosts: secrets_hosts
-  roles:
-    - secrets
-  tags:
-    - secrets
-
 - name: Ensure systemd-networkd config deployment on systemd_networkd_hosts
   hosts: systemd_networkd_hosts
   roles:
diff --git a/roles/secrets/README.md b/roles/secrets/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index ec04665..0000000
--- a/roles/secrets/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-# Role `secrets`
-
-Allows storing the given secret contents in the configured files.
-
-## Supported Distributions
-
-Should work on Debian-based distributions.
-
-## Required Arguments
-
-None.
-
-## Optional Arguments
-
-- `secrets__secrets`: List of secrets.
-  Defaults to the empty list (`[ ]`).
-- `secrets__secrets.*.name`: (File)name for the secret (in the `/etc/ansible_secrets` directory).
-- `secrets__secrets.*.content`: The secret content to store.
-- `secrets__secrets.*.owner`: The owner of the secret file.
-  Defaults to `root`.
-- `secrets__secrets.*.group`: The group of the secret file.
-  Defaults to `root`.
-- `secrets__secrets.*.mode`: The mode of the secret file.
-  Defaults to `0640`.
diff --git a/roles/secrets/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/secrets/defaults/main.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 882d77b..0000000
--- a/roles/secrets/defaults/main.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-secrets__secrets: [ ]
diff --git a/roles/secrets/meta/argument_specs.yaml b/roles/secrets/meta/argument_specs.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 2562138..0000000
--- a/roles/secrets/meta/argument_specs.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-argument_specs:
-  main:
-    options:
-      secrets__secrets:
-        type: list
-        required: false
diff --git a/roles/secrets/tasks/main.yaml b/roles/secrets/tasks/main.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 8923397..0000000
--- a/roles/secrets/tasks/main.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-- name: validate secret configs
-  ansible.builtin.validate_argument_spec:
-    argument_spec: "{{ required_data }}"
-    provided_arguments:
-      config: "{{ item }}"
-  loop: "{{ secrets__secrets }}"
-  loop_control:
-    label: "{{ item.name }}"
-  vars:
-    required_data:
-      config:
-        type: dict
-        required: true
-        options:
-          name:
-            type: str
-            required: true
-          content:
-            type: str
-            required: true
-          owner:
-            type: str
-            required: false
-            default: root
-          group:
-            type: str
-            required: false
-            default: root
-          mode:
-            type: str
-            required: false
-            default: "0640"
-
-- name: ensure secrets directory exists
-  ansible.builtin.file:
-    path: "/etc/ansible_secrets"
-    state: directory
-    owner: root
-    group: root
-    mode: "0750"
-  become: true
-
-- name: ensure secrets are present
-  ansible.builtin.copy:
-    content: "{{ item.content }}"
-    dest: "/etc/ansible_secrets/{{ item.name }}"
-    mode: "{{ item.mode | default('0640') }}"
-    owner: "{{ item.owner | default('root') }}"
-    group: "{{ item.group | default('root') }}"
-  become: true
-  loop: "{{ secrets__secrets }}"
-  loop_control:
-    label: "{{ item.name }}"