diff --git a/core/scripts/sems.debian b/core/scripts/sems.debian
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..32a793cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/scripts/sems.debian
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+#
+# INSTRUCTIONS:
+#  - Copy this file to /etc/init.d/sems
+#  - Don't forget to copy the default file for this script to work properly 
+#
+### BEGIN INIT INFO
+# Provides: sems
+# Required-Start: $syslog $network $local_fs $time
+# Required-Stop: $syslog $network $local_fs
+# Default-Start: 2 3 4 5
+# Default-Stop: 0 1 6
+# Short-Description: Start the SEMS server
+# Description: Start the SEMS server
+### END INIT INFO
+
+PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
+DAEMON=/usr/local/sbin/sems
+NAME=sems
+DESC=sems
+HOMEDIR=/var/run/sems
+PIDFILE=$HOMEDIR/$NAME.pid
+DEFAULTS=/etc/default/sems
+RUN_SEMS=no
+
+# Do not start sems if fork=no is set in the config file
+# otherwise the boot process will just stop
+check_fork ()
+{
+    if grep -q "^[[:space:]]*fork[[:space:]]*=[[:space:]]*no.*" /usr/local/etc/sems/sems.conf; then
+        echo "Not starting $DESC: fork=no specified in config file; run /etc/init.d/sems debug instead"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
+create_radius_seqfile ()
+{
+    # Create a radius sequence file to be used by the radius client if
+    # radius accounting is enabled. This is needed to avoid any issue
+    # with the file not being writable if sems first starts as user
+    # root because DUMP_CORE is enabled and creates this file as user
+    # root and then later it switches back to user sems and cannot
+    # write to the file. If the file exists before sems starts, it
+    # won't change it's ownership and will be writable for both root
+    # and sems, no matter what options are chosen at install time
+    RADIUS_SEQ_FILE=/var/run/sems/sems_radius.seq
+    if [ -d /var/run/sems ]; then
+        chown ${USER}:${GROUP} /var/run/sems
+
+        if [ ! -f $RADIUS_SEQ_FILE ]; then
+            touch $RADIUS_SEQ_FILE
+        fi
+
+        chown ${USER}:${GROUP} $RADIUS_SEQ_FILE
+        chmod 660 $RADIUS_SEQ_FILE
+    fi
+}
+
+test -f $DAEMON || exit 0
+
+# Load startup options if available
+if [ -f $DEFAULTS ]; then
+   . $DEFAULTS || true
+fi
+
+if [ "$RUN_SEMS" != "yes" ]; then
+    echo "SEMS not yet configured. Edit /etc/default/sems first."
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+set -e
+
+[ -z "$USER" ] && USER=sems
+[ -z "$GROUP" ] && GROUP=sems
+
+if test "$DUMP_CORE" = "yes" ; then
+    # set proper ulimit
+    ulimit -c unlimited
+    
+    # directory for the core dump files
+    # COREDIR=/home/corefiles
+    # [ -d $COREDIR ] || mkdir $COREDIR
+    # chmod 777 $COREDIR
+    # echo "$COREDIR/core.%e.sig%s.%p" > /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern
+fi
+
+OPTIONS="-P $PIDFILE -u $USER -g $GROUP"
+
+case "$1" in
+  start|debug)
+        create_radius_seqfile
+
+        DBG_OPTIONS=""
+
+        if [ "$1" != "debug" ]; then
+            check_fork
+        else
+            DBG_OPTIONS="-D 3 -E"
+        fi
+
+        # FIXME
+        # This is a small hack to prevent some broken apps to be loaded
+        rm -f /usr/local/lib/sems/plug-in/py_sems.so /usr/local/lib/sems/plug-in/sw_prepaid_sip.so
+
+        echo "$DAEMON $OPTIONS $DBG_OPTIONS"
+        echo -n "Starting $DESC: $NAME"
+        start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE \
+                --exec $DAEMON -- $OPTIONS $DBG_OPTIONS || echo -n " already running"
+        echo "."
+        ;;
+  stop)
+        echo -n "Stopping $DESC: $NAME"
+        start-stop-daemon --oknodo --stop --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE \
+                --exec $DAEMON
+        echo "."
+        ;;
+  restart|force-reload)
+        create_radius_seqfile
+
+        echo -n "Restarting $DESC: $NAME"
+        start-stop-daemon --oknodo --stop --quiet --pidfile \
+                $PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON
+        sleep 1
+        start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile \
+                $PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON -- $OPTIONS
+        echo "."
+        ;;
+  status)
+        echo -n "Status of $DESC: "
+        if [ ! -r "$PIDFILE" ]; then
+                echo "$NAME is not running."
+                exit 3
+        fi
+        pid=`cat "$PIDFILE"`
+        if ps -p "$pid" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+                echo "$NAME is running."
+                exit 0
+        else
+                echo "$NAME is not running but $PIDFILE exists."
+                exit 1
+        fi
+        ;;
+  *)
+        N=/etc/init.d/$NAME
+        echo "Usage: $N {start|stop|restart|force-reload|debug|status}" >&2
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+
+exit 0
+
diff --git a/core/scripts/sems.default.debian b/core/scripts/sems.default.debian
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f35618be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/scripts/sems.default.debian
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#
+# SEMS startup options:
+# INSTRUCTIONS:
+#  - copy this file to /etc/default/sems
+#
+
+# Set to yes to enable openser, once configured properly.
+RUN_SEMS=no
+
+# User to run as
+USER=openser
+#USER=ser
+
+# Group to run as
+GROUP=openser
+#GROUP=ser
+
+# Enable the server to leave a core file when it crashes.
+DUMP_CORE=no 
+