diff --git a/build/Makefile.am b/build/Makefile.am
index 936ab56843..dbda77330e 100644
--- a/build/Makefile.am
+++ b/build/Makefile.am
@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@ install:
 	@echo " +       Install/Re-install default config:        +"
 	@echo " +       ----------------------------------        +"
 	@echo " +               $(MK) samples                     +"
-if SYSTEMD_INIT
+if KNOWN_INIT
 	@echo " +                                                 +"
-	@echo " +       Install systemd startup scripts:          +"
-	@echo " +       --------------------------------          +"
+	@echo " +       Install startup scripts:                  +"
+	@echo " +       ------------------------                  +"
 	@echo " +                                                 +"
 	@echo " +       build/startup/install_systemd.sh          +"
 endif
diff --git a/build/startup/freeswitch.service.in b/build/startup/freeswitch.service.in
index f580ba2480..930c8c2b93 100644
--- a/build/startup/freeswitch.service.in
+++ b/build/startup/freeswitch.service.in
@@ -5,12 +5,11 @@ After=syslog.target network.target local-fs.target
 [Service]
 ; service
 Type=forking
-PIDFile=@runtimedir@/freeswitch.pid
+PIDFile=@rundir@/freeswitch.pid
 PermissionsStartOnly=true
 Environment="DAEMON_OPTS=-nonat"
-EnvironmentFile=-/etc/sysconfig/freeswitch
-EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/freeswitch
-ExecStart=@bindir_expanded@/freeswitch -u freeswitch -g freeswitch -ncwait -rp ${DAEMON_OPTS}
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/@environmentfilelocation@/freeswitch
+ExecStart=@bindir@/freeswitch -u freeswitch -g freeswitch -ncwait -rp ${DAEMON_OPTS}
 TimeoutSec=20s
 Restart=on-failure
 ; exec
diff --git a/build/startup/install_systemd.sh.in b/build/startup/install_systemd.sh.in
index 3f77c4f8b3..6fe5374a5c 100644
--- a/build/startup/install_systemd.sh.in
+++ b/build/startup/install_systemd.sh.in
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+# @DISTRO@ installer
 # Niek Vlessert
 
 USER=`whoami`
-DISTRO=$(source /etc/os-release && echo $PRETTY_NAME)
+DISTRO=@DISTRO@
 if [ $USER != "root" ] ; then
 	SUDO=`which sudo | awk -F"/" '{print $NF}'`
 	if [ -z $SUDO ] ; then
@@ -19,34 +20,36 @@ if [ $USER != "root" ] ; then
 fi
 
 echo
-echo "This will do several things on your $DISTRO installation:"
+echo "This will do several things on your @DISTRO@ installation:"
 echo "- Create user freeswitch and add it to group freeswitch"
 FSPATH=@prefix@
 if [[ $FSPATH == *"freeswitch"* ]]
 then
 	echo "- Set permissions on @prefix@ and files in @bindir_expanded@"
 fi
-echo "- Install systemd unit file and other required files"
+echo "- Install systemd unit file"
+echo "- Install /etc/@environmentfilelocation@/freeswitch"
 echo
 read -p "Do you want to continue? (y/n) " -n 1 -r
 if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[yY]$ ]]
 then
 	echo
 	echo "Installing..."
-	$SUDO useradd -d @confdir@ -r -U -s /bin/false -c "FreeSWITCH open source softswitch" freeswitch
+	$SUDO groupadd freeswitch
+	if DISTRO="debian8"; then
+		$SUDO adduser --disabled-password  --quiet --system --home @confdir@ --gecos "FreeSWITCH open source softswitch" --ingroup freeswitch freeswitch
+	elif DISTRO="centos7"; then
+		$SUDO adduser --system --home @confdir@ -c "FreeSWITCH open source softswitch" -g freeswitch freeswitch
+	fi
 	if [[ $FSPATH == *"freeswitch"* ]]
 	then
 		$SUDO chown -R freeswitch:freeswitch @prefix@
 		$SUDO chmod -R ug=rwX,o= @prefix@
 		$SUDO chmod -R u=rwx,g=rx @bindir_expanded@/*
 	fi
-	$SUDO cp build/startup/freeswitch.service /etc/systemd/system/
-	$SUDO cp build/startup/freeswitch.tmpfile /etc/tmpfiles.d/freeswitch.conf
-	if [ -d /etc/sysconfig ]; then
-                $SUDO cp build/startup/freeswitch.default /etc/sysconfig/freeswitch
-        else
-                $SUDO cp build/startup/freeswitch.default /etc/default/freeswitch
-        fi
+	$SUDO cp init/freeswitch.service /etc/systemd/system/
+	$SUDO cp init/freeswitch.tmpfile /etc/tmpfiles.d/freeswitch.conf
+	$SUDO cp init/freeswitch.default /etc/@environmentfilelocation@/freeswitch
 	$SUDO systemd-tmpfiles --clean --create
 	$SUDO systemctl daemon-reload
 	echo
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4f3e0d24e6..a1d8010a39 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -773,14 +773,33 @@ case "$host" in
     ;;
     *linux*)
 	APR_ADDTO([PLATFORM_CORE_LIBS], [-ldl -lcrypt -lrt])
-	systemdinit=false
-	if test -d /run/systemd/system; then
-		systemdinit=true
-		AC_SUBST(bindir_expanded)
-		AC_CONFIG_FILES([build/startup/install_systemd.sh], [chmod +x build/startup/install_systemd.sh])
-		AC_CONFIG_FILES([build/startup/freeswitch.service])
+	if test -f /etc/os-release; then
+		DISTRO="$(source /etc/os-release && echo $ID$VERSION_ID)"
+		case "$DISTRO" in
+			*debian8*)
+				environmentfilelocation="default"
+				;;&
+			*centos7*)
+				environmentfilelocation="sysconfig"
+				;;&
+			*debian8*|*centos7*)
+				knowninit=false
+				if test -d /run/systemd/system; then
+					knowninit=true
+					AC_SUBST(DISTRO)
+					AC_SUBST(rundir)
+					AC_SUBST(environmentfilelocation)
+					AC_SUBST(bindir_expanded)
+					AC_CONFIG_FILES([build/startup/install_systemd.sh], [chmod +x build/startup/install_systemd.sh])
+					AC_CONFIG_FILES([build/startup/freeswitch.service])
+				fi
+				;;
+			*)
+				knowninit=false
+				;;
+		esac
 	fi
-	AM_CONDITIONAL([SYSTEMD_INIT], [test x$systemdinit = xtrue])
+	AM_CONDITIONAL([KNOWN_INIT], [test x$knowninit = xtrue])
     ;;
 esac