diff --git a/locales/en.json b/locales/en.json
index 820c8db89..1157e0a54 100644
--- a/locales/en.json
+++ b/locales/en.json
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@
     "diagnosis_monitor_network_error": "Can't monitor network: {error}",
     "diagnosis_monitor_system_error": "Can't monitor system: {error}",
     "diagnosis_no_apps": "No installed application",
+    "dpkg_is_broken": "You cannot do this right now because dpkg/apt (the system package managers) seems to be in a broken state... You can try to solve this issue by connecting through SSH and running `sudo dpkg --configure -a`.",
     "dnsmasq_isnt_installed": "dnsmasq does not seem to be installed, please run 'apt-get remove bind9 && apt-get install dnsmasq'",
     "domain_cannot_remove_main": "Cannot remove main domain. Set a new main domain first",
     "domain_cert_gen_failed": "Unable to generate certificate",
@@ -470,6 +471,7 @@
     "ssowat_persistent_conf_write_error": "Error while saving SSOwat persistent configuration: {error:s}. Edit /etc/ssowat/conf.json.persistent file to fix the JSON syntax",
     "system_upgraded": "The system has been upgraded",
     "system_username_exists": "Username already exists in the system users",
+    "this_action_broke_dpkg": "This action broke dpkg/apt (the system package managers)... You can try to solve this issue by connecting through SSH and running `sudo dpkg --configure -a`.",
     "unbackup_app": "App '{app:s}' will not be saved",
     "unexpected_error": "An unexpected error occured: {error}",
     "unit_unknown": "Unknown unit '{unit:s}'",
diff --git a/src/yunohost/app.py b/src/yunohost/app.py
index ecc00fcc1..e84187d6b 100644
--- a/src/yunohost/app.py
+++ b/src/yunohost/app.py
@@ -567,6 +567,9 @@ def app_upgrade(auth, app=[], url=None, file=None):
         url -- Git url to fetch for upgrade
 
     """
+    if packages.dpkg_is_broken():
+        raise YunohostError("dpkg_is_broken")
+
     from yunohost.hook import hook_add, hook_remove, hook_exec, hook_callback
 
     # Retrieve interface
@@ -711,6 +714,9 @@ def app_install(operation_logger, auth, app, label=None, args=None, no_remove_on
         no_remove_on_failure -- Debug option to avoid removing the app on a failed installation
         force -- Do not ask for confirmation when installing experimental / low-quality apps
     """
+    if packages.dpkg_is_broken():
+        raise YunohostError("dpkg_is_broken")
+
     from yunohost.hook import hook_add, hook_remove, hook_exec, hook_callback
     from yunohost.log import OperationLogger
 
@@ -882,6 +888,9 @@ def app_install(operation_logger, auth, app, label=None, args=None, no_remove_on
 
             app_ssowatconf(auth)
 
+            if packages.dpkg_is_broken():
+                logger.error(m18n.n("this_action_broke_dpkg"))
+
             if install_retcode == -1:
                 msg = m18n.n('operation_interrupted') + " " + error_msg
                 raise YunohostError(msg, raw_msg=True)
@@ -966,6 +975,9 @@ def app_remove(operation_logger, auth, app):
     hook_remove(app)
     app_ssowatconf(auth)
 
+    if packages.dpkg_is_broken():
+        raise YunohostError("this_action_broke_dpkg")
+
 
 def app_addaccess(auth, apps, users=[]):
     """
diff --git a/src/yunohost/tools.py b/src/yunohost/tools.py
index 4a2101121..a011b1546 100644
--- a/src/yunohost/tools.py
+++ b/src/yunohost/tools.py
@@ -524,6 +524,10 @@ def tools_upgrade(operation_logger, auth, ignore_apps=False, ignore_packages=Fal
         ignore_packages -- Ignore APT packages upgrade
 
     """
+    from yunohost.utils import packages
+    if packages.dpkg_is_broken():
+        raise YunohostError("dpkg_is_broken")
+
     failure = False
 
     # Retrieve interface
diff --git a/src/yunohost/utils/packages.py b/src/yunohost/utils/packages.py
index 5ef97618b..e10de6493 100644
--- a/src/yunohost/utils/packages.py
+++ b/src/yunohost/utils/packages.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 """
 import re
+import os
 import logging
 from collections import OrderedDict
 
@@ -470,3 +471,13 @@ def ynh_packages_version(*args, **kwargs):
         'yunohost', 'yunohost-admin', 'moulinette', 'ssowat',
         with_repo=True
     )
+
+
+def dpkg_is_broken():
+    # If dpkg is broken, /var/lib/dpkg/updates
+    # will contains files like 0001, 0002, ...
+    # ref: https://sources.debian.org/src/apt/1.4.9/apt-pkg/deb/debsystem.cc/#L141-L174
+    if not os.path.isdir("/var/lib/dpkg/updates/"):
+        return False
+    return any(re.match("^[0-9]+$", f)
+               for f in os.listdir("/var/lib/dpkg/updates/"))