diff --git a/consul/config.sls b/consul/config.sls
index 025f3f0..812287a 100644
--- a/consul/config.sls
+++ b/consul/config.sls
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ consul-script-install-{{ loop.index }}:
     - name: {{ script.name }}
     - template: jinja
     - context: {{ script.get('context', {}) | yaml }}
-    - user: consul
-    - group: consul
+    - user: {{ consul.user }}
+    - group: {{ consul.group }}
     - mode: 0755
 {% endfor %}
 
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ consul-script-config:
     - watch_in:
        - service: consul
     {% endif %}
-    - user: consul
-    - group: consul
+    - user: {{ consul.user }}
+    - group: {{ consul.group }}
     - require:
       - user: consul
     - formatter: json
diff --git a/consul/defaults.yaml b/consul/defaults.yaml
index 170f355..5a56461 100644
--- a/consul/defaults.yaml
+++ b/consul/defaults.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ consul:
   download_host: releases.hashicorp.com
 
   service: false
+
+  user: consul
+  group: consul
+
   config:
     server: false
     bind_addr: 0.0.0.0
diff --git a/consul/files/consul.service b/consul/files/consul.service
index ecc2775..2997175 100644
--- a/consul/files/consul.service
+++ b/consul/files/consul.service
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ Environment="GOMAXPROCS=2" "PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/consul agent -config-dir=/etc/consul.d
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID
 KillSignal=TERM
-User=consul
+User={{ user }}
+Group={{ group }}
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/consul/files/consul.sysvinit b/consul/files/consul.sysvinit
index ca7f21b..25035fa 100644
--- a/consul/files/consul.sysvinit
+++ b/consul/files/consul.sysvinit
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 . /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions
 
 prog="consul"
-user="consul"
 exec="/usr/local/bin/$prog"
 pidfile="/var/run/$prog.pid"
 lockfile="/var/lock/subsys/$prog"
@@ -34,6 +33,9 @@ confdir="/etc/consul.d"
 # pull in sysconfig settings
 [ -e /etc/sysconfig/$prog ] && . /etc/sysconfig/$prog
 
+user=${CONSUL_USER:-consul}
+group=${CONSUL_GROUP:-consul}
+
 export GOMAXPROCS=${GOMAXPROCS:-2}
 
 start() {
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ start() {
     umask 077
 
     touch $logfile $pidfile
-    chown $user:$user $logfile $pidfile
+    chown "$user:$group" $logfile $pidfile
 
     echo -n $"Starting $prog: "
     
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ start() {
     ## owned by consul:consul, using -pid-file results in a permission error.
     daemon \
         --pidfile=$pidfile \
-        --user=consul \
+        --user="$user" \
         " { $exec agent -config-dir=$confdir &>> $logfile & } ; echo \$! >| $pidfile "
     
     RETVAL=$?
diff --git a/consul/files/consul.upstart b/consul/files/consul.upstart
index a7a87f5..f54d6cf 100644
--- a/consul/files/consul.upstart
+++ b/consul/files/consul.upstart
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ stop on runlevel [!2345]
 respawn
 
 script
-  if [ -f "/etc/service/consul" ]; then
-    . /etc/service/consul
+  if [ -f /etc/default/consul ]; then
+    . /etc/default/consul
   fi
 
   # Make sure to use all our CPUs, because Consul can block a scheduler thread
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ script
   # Get the public IP
   BIND=`ifconfig eth0 | grep "inet addr" | awk '{ print substr($2,6) }'`
 
-  exec start-stop-daemon --start -c consul \
+  exec start-stop-daemon --start \
+    --chuid ${CONSUL_USER:-consul}:${CONSUL_GROUP:-consul} \
     --exec /usr/local/bin/consul agent -- \
       -config-dir="/etc/consul.d" \
       ${CONSUL_FLAGS} \
diff --git a/consul/install.sls b/consul/install.sls
index 4370da9..c608ca0 100644
--- a/consul/install.sls
+++ b/consul/install.sls
@@ -10,24 +10,25 @@ consul-bin-dir:
     - makedirs: True
 
 # Create consul user
-consul-user:
+consul-group:
   group.present:
-    - name: consul
+    - name: {{ consul.group }}
+
+consul-user:
   user.present:
-    - name: consul
-    - createhome: false
-    - system: true
-    - groups:
-      - consul
+    - name: {{ consul.user }}
+    - gid: {{ consul.group }}
+    - createhome: False
+    - system: True
     - require:
-      - group: consul
+      - group: consul-group
 
 # Create directories
 consul-config-dir:
   file.directory:
     - name: /etc/consul.d
-    - user: consul
-    - group: consul
+    - user: {{ consul.user }}
+    - group: {{ consul.group }}
 
 consul-data-dir:
   file.directory:
diff --git a/consul/service.sls b/consul/service.sls
index 3870954..cb6fdb5 100644
--- a/consul/service.sls
+++ b/consul/service.sls
@@ -1,10 +1,29 @@
 {%- from slspath+"/map.jinja" import consul with context -%}
 
+consul-init-env:
+  file.managed:
+    {%- if grains['os_family'] == 'Debian' %}
+    - name: /etc/default/consul
+    {%- else %}
+    - name: /etc/sysconfig/consul
+    - makedirs: True
+    {%- endif %}
+    - user: root
+    - group: root
+    - mode: 0644
+    - contents:
+      - CONSUL_USER={{ consul.user }}
+      - CONSUL_GROUP={{ consul.group }}
+
 consul-init-file:
   file.managed:
     {%- if salt['test.provider']('service') == 'systemd' %}
     - source: salt://{{ slspath }}/files/consul.service
     - name: /etc/systemd/system/consul.service
+    - template: jinja
+    - context:
+        user: {{ consul.user }}
+        group: {{ consul.group }}
     - mode: 0644
     {%- elif salt['test.provider']('service') == 'upstart' %}
     - source: salt://{{ slspath }}/files/consul.upstart
@@ -23,6 +42,7 @@ consul-service:
     - name: consul
     - enable: True
     - watch:
+      - file: consul-init-env
       - file: consul-init-file
 
 {%- endif %}
diff --git a/pillar.example b/pillar.example
index 1381741..0d8927f 100644
--- a/pillar.example
+++ b/pillar.example
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ consul:
   # Start Consul agent service and enable it at boot time
   service: True
 
+  # Set user and group for Consul config files and running service
+  user: consul
+  group: consul
+
   config:
     server: True
     bind_addr: 0.0.0.0