diff --git a/modules/rhizo_base/files/etc/init.d/riak b/modules/rhizo_base/files/etc/init.d/riak
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d991549
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/rhizo_base/files/etc/init.d/riak
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+### BEGIN INIT INFO
+# Provides:          riak
+# Required-Start:    $remote_fs $syslog tinc
+# Required-Stop:     $remote_fs $syslog tinc
+# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
+# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
+# Short-Description: Riak is a distributed data store
+# Description:       Riak is a distributed data store
+### END INIT INFO
+
+NAME=riak
+DAEMON=/usr/sbin/$NAME
+SCRIPTNAME=/etc/init.d/$NAME
+
+# Read configuration variable file if it is present
+[ -r /etc/default/$NAME ] && . /etc/default/$NAME
+
+# Load the VERBOSE setting and other rcS variables
+. /lib/init/vars.sh
+. /lib/lsb/init-functions
+
+# `service` strips all environmental VARS so
+# if no HOME was set in /etc/default/$NAME then set one here
+# to the data directory for erlexec's sake
+if [ -z "$HOME" ]; then
+    export HOME=/var/lib/riak
+fi
+
+#
+# Function that starts the daemon/service
+#
+do_start()
+{
+    # Return
+    #   0 if daemon has been started
+    #   1 if daemon was already running
+    #   2 if daemon could not be started
+
+    # Startup with the appropriate user
+    start-stop-daemon --start \
+        --name riak \
+        --user riak \
+        --exec $DAEMON -- start \
+        || return 2
+}
+
+#
+# Function that stops the daemon/service
+#
+do_stop()
+{
+    # Identify the erts directory
+    ERTS_PATH=`$DAEMON ertspath`
+
+    # Attempt a clean shutdown.
+    $DAEMON stop
+
+    # Return
+    #   0 if daemon has been stopped
+    #   1 if daemon was already stopped
+    #   2 if daemon could not be stopped
+    #   other if a failure occurred
+    # Make sure it's down by using a more direct approach
+    start-stop-daemon --stop \
+                      --quiet \
+                      --retry=TERM/30/KILL/5 \
+                      --user riak \
+                      --exec $ERTS_PATH/run_erl
+    return $?
+}
+
+#
+# Function that graceful reload the daemon/service
+#
+do_reload() {
+    # Restart the VM without exiting the process
+    $DAEMON restart && return $? || return 2
+}
+
+# Checks the status of a node
+do_status() {
+    $DAEMON ping && echo $"$NAME is running" && return 0
+    echo $"$NAME is stopped" && return 2
+}
+
+case "$1" in
+    start)
+        [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Starting $NAME"
+        $DAEMON ping >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo $"$NAME is already running" && exit 0
+        do_start
+        case "$?" in
+            0|1) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
+            2) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1
+                exit 1
+                ;;
+        esac
+        ;;
+    stop)
+        [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Stopping $NAME"
+        do_stop
+        case "$?" in
+            0|1) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
+            2) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1
+                exit 1
+                ;;
+        esac
+        ;;
+    ping)
+        # See if the VM is alive
+        $DAEMON ping || exit $?
+        ;;
+    reload|force-reload)
+        log_daemon_msg "Reloading $NAME"
+        do_reload
+        ES=$?
+        log_end_msg $ES
+        exit $ES
+        ;;
+    restart)
+        log_daemon_msg "Restarting $NAME"
+        do_stop
+        case "$?" in
+            0|1)
+                do_start
+                case "$?" in
+                    0) log_end_msg 0 ;;
+                    1) log_end_msg 1 && exit 1 ;; # Old process is still running
+                    *) log_end_msg 1 && exit 1 ;; # Failed to start
+                esac
+                ;;
+            *)
+                # Failed to stop
+                log_end_msg 1 && exit 1
+                ;;
+        esac
+        ;;
+    status)
+        do_status && exit 0 || exit $?
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Usage: $SCRIPTNAME {start|stop|ping|restart|force-reload|status}" >&2
+        exit 3
+        ;;
+esac
+
+:
diff --git a/modules/rhizo_base/manifests/riak.pp b/modules/rhizo_base/manifests/riak.pp
index abc37d0..9dab840 100644
--- a/modules/rhizo_base/manifests/riak.pp
+++ b/modules/rhizo_base/manifests/riak.pp
@@ -69,4 +69,19 @@ class rhizo_base::riak {
         'storage_backend'                   => 'leveldb',
       }
     }
+  file { '/etc/init.d/riak':
+      ensure  => file,
+      owner   => 'root',
+      group   => 'root',
+      mode    => '0755',
+      source  => 'puppet:///modules/rhizo_base/etc/init.d/riak',
+      require => Class['::riak'],
+      notify  => Exec['insserv'],
+    }
+
+  exec { 'insserv':
+      command     => '/usr/lib/insserv/insserv',
+      refreshonly => true,
+    }
+
   }