diff --git a/group_vars/shxco/vars.yml b/group_vars/shxco/vars.yml
index 6b023597..54e71252 100644
--- a/group_vars/shxco/vars.yml
+++ b/group_vars/shxco/vars.yml
@@ -12,19 +12,21 @@ django_app: "{{ python_app }}"
 symlink: mep
 # wsgi file relative to deploy location
 wsgi_path: "{{ django_app }}/wsgi.py"
-# use python 3.6
-python_version: 3.6
+# use python 3.8
+python_version: 3.8
 # nodejs version
-node_version: "10"
+node_version: "18"
 
 # Override clone root to use deploy user home instead of root
 clone_root: "/home/{{ deploy_user }}/repos"
 # don't distinguish between qa/prod paths
 install_root: "/srv/www/{{ app_name }}"
-# apache location
-apache_app_path: "/var/www/{{ app_name }}"
-# use site name instead of 'mep' for apache site config
-apache_conf_name: "shakespeareandco"
+
+# set passenger defaults for production; override for other environments
+passenger_app_root: "/var/www/{{ app_name }}"
+passenger_server_name: "shakespeareandco.princeton.edu"
+passenger_startup_file: "{{ app_name }}/wsgi.py"
+passenger_python: "{{ passenger_app_root }}/env/bin/python"
 
 # pul deploy user
 deploy_user: "conan"
diff --git a/group_vars/shxco_qa/vars.yml b/group_vars/shxco_qa/vars.yml
index 5e909738..1e829963 100644
--- a/group_vars/shxco_qa/vars.yml
+++ b/group_vars/shxco_qa/vars.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,17 @@ zk_host: "lib-zk-staging1:2181,lib-zk-staging2:2181,lib-zk-staging3:2181/solr8"
 solr_url: "http://lib-solr8-staging.princeton.edu:8983/solr/"
 solr_server: "{{ groups['solr_staging'][0] }}"
 
+# override passenger server name with qa hostname
+application_url: "test-shakespeareandco.cdh.princeton.edu"
+
+# passenger settings
+passenger_server_name: "{{ application_url }}"
+
+
+
+
+# source host when replicating data/media (from ansible host inventory file)
+replication_source_host: shxco_prod
 
 # configure scripts to run as cron jobs
 crontab:
@@ -21,4 +32,4 @@ crontab:
     minute: 30
     hour: 2
     job: "bin/cron-wrapper {{ deploy }}/env/bin/python {{ deploy }}/manage.py twitterbot_100years schedule  >> {{ logging_dir }}/twitterbot_100years.log  2>&1"
-    state: absent
\ No newline at end of file
+    state: absent
diff --git a/playbooks/replicate.yml b/playbooks/replicate.yml
index 9aadf6fd..8fa87e83 100644
--- a/playbooks/replicate.yml
+++ b/playbooks/replicate.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 # source hosts tasks
 - name: Generate database and media backups on source host
-  hosts: geniza_prod, cdhweb_prod, prosody_prod
+  hosts: geniza_prod, cdhweb_prod, prosody_prod, shxco_prod
   connection: ssh
   remote_user: pulsys
   # generate backups on source host
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 - name: Restore database and media backups on target host
   # hosts: dev
   # connection: local
-  hosts: geniza_qa, cdhweb_qa, prosody_qa
+  hosts: geniza_qa, cdhweb_qa, prosody_qa, shxco_qa
   connection: ssh
   remote_user: pulsys
   vars:
diff --git a/playbooks/shxco.yml b/playbooks/shxco.yml
index 7da491a5..0ae2439e 100644
--- a/playbooks/shxco.yml
+++ b/playbooks/shxco.yml
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@
       name: pulibrary.princeton_ansible.timezone
     - build_project_repo
     - postgresql
+    - passenger
     - build_npm
     - run_webpack   # dependency for collectstatic
     - configure_logging # logging directory must exist before running django commands
     - django
     - solr_collection
-    - configure_apache
     - finalize_deploy
     - configure_crontab  # used in prod but not always in qa
-    - close_deployment
\ No newline at end of file
+    - close_deployment
diff --git a/playbooks/shxco_qa.yml b/playbooks/shxco_qa.yml
index 0f858bed..fbd1c088 100644
--- a/playbooks/shxco_qa.yml
+++ b/playbooks/shxco_qa.yml
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@
       name: pulibrary.princeton_ansible.timezone
     - build_project_repo
     - postgresql
+    - passenger
     - build_npm
     - run_webpack   # dependency for collectstatic
     - configure_logging # logging directory must exist before running django commands
     - django
     - solr_collection
-    - configure_apache
     - finalize_deploy
     - configure_crontab  # used in prod but not always in qa
-    - close_deployment
\ No newline at end of file
+    - close_deployment
diff --git a/roles/passenger/tasks/main.yml b/roles/passenger/tasks/main.yml
index f83b3151..9e74e502 100644
--- a/roles/passenger/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/passenger/tasks/main.yml
@@ -53,9 +53,10 @@
         - never
       become: true
       ansible.builtin.apt:
-        # update cache fails on bionic because postgres no longer has a release
-        # only update cache on newer VMs; skip updating on older vms
-        update_cache: "{{ ansible_distribution_version != '18.04' }}"
+        update_cache: true
+      # update cache fails on bionic because postgres no longer has a release
+      # only update cache on newer VMs; skip updating on older vms
+      when: ansible_distribution_version != "18.04"
 
     # Nginx and passenger installation.
     - name: Install Nginx and Passenger.
diff --git a/roles/postgresql/tasks/main.yml b/roles/postgresql/tasks/main.yml
index a42a9c44..f27f61f8 100644
--- a/roles/postgresql/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/postgresql/tasks/main.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,19 @@
     repo: "{{ postgres_apt_repository }}"
     update_cache: true
     state: present
+  when: ansible_distribution_version != '18.04'
+
+- name: Remove postgres repository for bionic (no longer valid)
+  become: true
+  tags:
+    - setup
+    - never
+  ansible.builtin.apt_repository:
+    repo: "{{ postgres_apt_repository }}"
+    update_cache: true
+    state: absent
+  when: ansible_distribution_version == '18.04'
+
 
 - name: Install postgres client libraries
   become: true