diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7e048ddf..23993a7d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ pause/pause.o
 /docs/ocid.8
 /docs/ocid.conf.5
 vendor/src/github.com/kubernetes-incubator/cri-o
+ocid.conf
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6d8e5fc0..1374626e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -44,7 +44,11 @@ ocid: ${OCID_LINK}
 ocic: ${OCID_LINK}
 	go build -o ocic ./cmd/client/
 
+ocid.conf: ocid
+	 ./ocid --config="" config --default > ocid.conf 
+
 clean:
+	rm -f ocid.conf
 	rm -f ocic ocid
 	rm -f ${OCID_LINK}
 	rm -f conmon/conmon.o conmon/conmon
@@ -83,7 +87,7 @@ docs/%.5: docs/%.5.md
 
 docs: $(MANPAGES_MD:%.md=%)
 
-install:
+install: ocid.conf
 	install -D -m 755 ocid ${INSTALLDIR}/ocid
 	install -D -m 755 ocic ${INSTALLDIR}/ocic
 	install -D -m 755 conmon/conmon $(PREFIX)/libexec/ocid/conmon
@@ -92,8 +96,13 @@ install:
 	install -m 644 $(wildcard docs/*.8.md) $(PREFIX)/share/man/man8
 	install -d $(PREFIX)/share/man/man5
 	install -m 644 $(wildcard docs/*.5.md) $(PREFIX)/share/man/man5
+	install -D -m 644 ocid.service $(PREFIX)/lib/systemd/system
+	install -D -m 644 ocid.conf $(DESTDIR)/etc
 
 uninstall:
+	systemctl stop ocid.service
+	systemctl disable ocid.service
+	rm -f $(PREFIX)/lib/systemd/system/ocid.service
 	rm -f ${INSTALLDIR}/{ocid,ocic}
 	rm -f $(PREFIX)/libexec/ocid/{conmon,pause}
 	for i in $(wildcard docs/*.8.md); do \
diff --git a/cmd/server/daemon_linux.go b/cmd/server/daemon_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..43b6ee24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/server/daemon_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+// +build linux
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+	systemdDaemon "github.com/coreos/go-systemd/daemon"
+)
+
+func sdNotify() {
+	if err := systemdDaemon.SdNotify("READY=1"); err != nil {
+		logrus.Warnf("Failed to sd_notify systemd: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// notifySystem sends a message to the host when the server is ready to be used
+func notifySystem() {
+	// Tell the init daemon we are accepting requests
+	go sdNotify()
+}
diff --git a/cmd/server/main.go b/cmd/server/main.go
index d523d173..8d75e922 100644
--- a/cmd/server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/server/main.go
@@ -205,6 +205,10 @@ func main() {
 
 		runtime.RegisterRuntimeServiceServer(s, service)
 		runtime.RegisterImageServiceServer(s, service)
+
+		// after the daemon is done setting up we can notify systemd api
+		notifySystem()
+
 		if err := s.Serve(lis); err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
diff --git a/hack/vendor.sh b/hack/vendor.sh
index 5f0d6bfd..4363504a 100755
--- a/hack/vendor.sh
+++ b/hack/vendor.sh
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ case $# in
 	;;
 esac
 
+clone git github.com/coreos/go-systemd/daemon
 clone git github.com/BurntSushi/toml v0.2.0
 clone git github.com/Sirupsen/logrus v0.10.0
 clone git github.com/containers/image f6f11ab5cf8b1e70ef4aa3f8b6fdb4b671d16abd
diff --git a/ocid.service b/ocid.service
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..62f78f28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ocid.service
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Open Container Initiative Daemon
+Documentation=https://github.com/kubernetes-incubator/cri-o
+After=network.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=notify
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/sysconfig/ocid-storage
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/sysconfig/ocid-network
+Environment=GOTRACEBACK=crash
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/ocid \
+          $OCID_STORAGE_OPTIONS \
+          $OCID_NETWORK_OPTIONS \
+ExecReload=/bin/kill -s HUP $MAINPID
+TasksMax=8192
+LimitNOFILE=1048576
+LimitNPROC=1048576
+LimitCORE=infinity
+TimeoutStartSec=0
+Restart=on-abnormal
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/vendor/src/github.com/coreos/go-systemd/daemon/sdnotify.go b/vendor/src/github.com/coreos/go-systemd/daemon/sdnotify.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b92b1911
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/src/github.com/coreos/go-systemd/daemon/sdnotify.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// Code forked from Docker project
+package daemon
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net"
+	"os"
+)
+
+var SdNotifyNoSocket = errors.New("No socket")
+
+// SdNotify sends a message to the init daemon. It is common to ignore the error.
+func SdNotify(state string) error {
+	socketAddr := &net.UnixAddr{
+		Name: os.Getenv("NOTIFY_SOCKET"),
+		Net:  "unixgram",
+	}
+
+	if socketAddr.Name == "" {
+		return SdNotifyNoSocket
+	}
+
+	conn, err := net.DialUnix(socketAddr.Net, nil, socketAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	_, err = conn.Write([]byte(state))
+	return err
+}