diff --git a/roles/registrator/defaults/main.yml b/roles/registrator/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee1f39e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/registrator/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+registrator_service: registrator
+
+registrator_container_name: "{{registrator_service}}"
+registrator_docker_image: progrium/registrator
+registrator_docker_tag: latest
+
+registrator_consul_connect: "consul://consul:8500"
diff --git a/roles/registrator/handlers/main.yml b/roles/registrator/handlers/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa067ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/registrator/handlers/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+- name: systemd daemon-reload
+  sudo: yes
+  command: /bin/systemctl daemon-reload
+  tags: 
+    - systemd-daemon-reload 
diff --git a/roles/registrator/tasks/main.yml b/roles/registrator/tasks/main.yml
index 9878c01..f66c0e0 100644
--- a/roles/registrator/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/registrator/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
 ---
-- name: run registrator container
+- name: generate registrator systemd service file 
   sudo: yes
-  docker:
-    name: registrator
-    image: progrium/registrator:latest
-    state: running
-    hostname: "{{ inventory_hostname }}"
-    volumes: /var/run/docker.sock:/tmp/docker.sock
-    privileged: yes
-    links: consul:consul
-    command: consul://consul:8500
+  template:
+    src: registrator.service.j2 
+    dest: "/usr/lib/systemd/system/{{registrator_service}}.service"
+  notify: systemd daemon-reload
+  register: registrator_unit
+  tags: 
+    - registrator
+    - registrator-docker-create-systemd-sevice
+
+- name: register registrator service with systemd
+  sudo: yes
+  service: 
+    enabled: yes
+    name: "{{registrator_service}}" 
+    state: started
+  tags: 
+    - registrator 
+    - registrator-docker-systemd-start
diff --git a/roles/registrator/templates/registrator.service.j2 b/roles/registrator/templates/registrator.service.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..abed09a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/registrator/templates/registrator.service.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=registrator
+Documentation=https://github.com/progrium/registrator
+After=docker.service
+After=dnsmasq.service
+Requires=docker.service
+Requires=dnsmasq.service
+
+[Service]
+Restart=on-failure
+
+ExecStart=/bin/bash -c \
+          "/usr/bin/docker start {{registrator_container_name}} || \
+          /usr/bin/docker run --name={{registrator_container_name}} \
+                              --link consul:consul \
+                              --privileged=true \
+                              -v /var/run/docker.sock:/tmp/docker.sock \
+                              -h {{inventory_hostname}} \
+                              {{registrator_docker_image }}:{{registrator_docker_tag}} {{registrator_consul_connect}}"
+
+ExecStop=/usr/bin/docker kill {{registrator_container_name}}
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target