diff --git a/hadoop/CDH/tasks/zeppelin.yml b/hadoop/CDH/tasks/zeppelin.yml
index 6aeec9de..fe40c43f 100644
--- a/hadoop/CDH/tasks/zeppelin.yml
+++ b/hadoop/CDH/tasks/zeppelin.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
     args:
       creates: '{{ cdh_zeppelin_home }}/{{ cdh_zeppelin_dir }}'
 
+  - name: zeppelin wants to write into the conf directory
+    file: dest={{ cdh_zeppelin_home }}/{{ cdh_zeppelin_dir }}/conf  owner={{ cdh_zeppelin_user }} group={{ cdh_zeppelin_group }}
+
   - name: Install the zeppelin env file
     template: src=zeppelin-env.sh dest={{ cdh_zeppelin_home }}/{{ cdh_zeppelin_dir }}/conf/zeppelin-env.sh owner=root group=root mode=0444
     notify: Restart zeppelin
@@ -26,6 +29,10 @@
     template: src=zeppelin_upstart.conf dest=/etc/init/zeppelin.conf
     when: ansible_service_mgr != 'systemd'
 
+  - name: Install the zeppelin systemd startup script
+    template: src=zeppelin_systemd.service dest=/etc/systemd/system/zeppelin.service
+    when: ansible_service_mgr == 'systemd'
+
   - name: Ensure that the zeppelin service is enabled and running
     service: name=zeppelin state=started enabled=yes
 
@@ -33,4 +40,4 @@
     service: name=apache2 state=stopped enabled=no
     notify: Restart nginx
 
-  tags: [ 'cdh', 'zeppelin' ]
\ No newline at end of file
+  tags: [ 'cdh', 'zeppelin' ]
diff --git a/hadoop/CDH/templates/zeppelin_systemd.service b/hadoop/CDH/templates/zeppelin_systemd.service
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..68b09de3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hadoop/CDH/templates/zeppelin_systemd.service
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Zeppelin
+After=network.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+
+User={{ cdh_zeppelin_user }}
+Group={{ cdh_zeppelin_group }}
+
+WorkingDirectory={{ cdh_zeppelin_home }}/{{ cdh_zeppelin_dir }}
+ExecStart={{ cdh_zeppelin_home }}/{{ cdh_zeppelin_dir }}/bin/zeppelin-daemon.sh upstart