diff --git a/debian/ngcp-sems.default b/debian/ngcp-sems.default
deleted file mode 100644
index b9846ee2..00000000
--- a/debian/ngcp-sems.default
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-# configuration for SEMS - SIP Express Media Server
-#
-# this file is sourced by SEMS init script /etc/init.d/ngcp-sems
-
-# Don't start with default config as we need to deploy the ngcp-templates first
-SEMS_RUN="no"
-
-# ser configuration file
-SEMS_CFG_FILE="/etc/ngcp-sems/sems.conf"
-
-# user to run ser as
-SEMS_USER="sems"
-
-# group to run ser as
-SEMS_GROUP="sems"
-
-SEMS_RUNDIR="/var/run/ngcp-sems"
-
-# sems pidfile
-SEMS_PIDFILE="$SEMS_RUNDIR/ngcp-sems.pid"
-
-# set if you want to create core files
-SEMS_CREATE_CORE="yes"
-
-SEMS_CACHEDIR="/var/cache/ngcp-sems"
-SEMS_CACHEDIR_EXTRADIRS="audio_cache callingcard"
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-sems.init b/debian/ngcp-sems.init
deleted file mode 100644
index 3b8d24c9..00000000
--- a/debian/ngcp-sems.init
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,146 +0,0 @@
-#! /bin/sh
-### BEGIN INIT INFO
-# Provides:          ngcp-sems sems
-# Required-Start:    $local_fs $remote_fs $network $syslog
-# Required-Stop:     $local_fs $remote_fs $network $syslog
-# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
-# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
-# Should-Start:      mysql
-# Should-Stop:       mysql
-# Short-Description: Start/stop SEMS Application Server
-### END INIT INFO
-
-umask 0022
-
-SEMS_CACHEDIR="/var/cache/ngcp-sems"
-
-# read configuration from /etc/default/ngcp-sems file
-if test -f /etc/default/ngcp-sems ; then
-  . /etc/default/ngcp-sems
-fi
-
-
-if test "$SEMS_RUN" = "no" ; then
-    echo "Sems start disabled by default file"
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
-DAEMON=/usr/sbin/ngcp-sems
-NAME=ngcp-sems
-DESC=ngcp-sems
-
-PARAMS=""
-
-if ! test -d $SEMS_CACHEDIR ; then
-	mkdir -m 0755 -p $SEMS_CACHEDIR
-fi
-
-for dir in $SEMS_CACHEDIR_EXTRADIRS ; do
-	if ! test -d ${SEMS_CACHEDIR}/${dir} ; then
-		mkdir -m 0755 -p ${SEMS_CACHEDIR}/${dir}
-	fi
-done
-
-if ! test -d $SEMS_RUNDIR ; then
-   mkdir -m 0755 -p $SEMS_RUNDIR
-fi
-chown -R $SEMS_USER:$SEMS_GROUP $SEMS_RUNDIR $SEMS_CACHEDIR
-
-if test "$SEMS_PIDFILE" ; then
-  PARAMS="$PARAMS -P $SEMS_PIDFILE"
-fi
-
-if test "$SEMS_USER" ; then
-  PARAMS="$PARAMS -u $SEMS_USER"
-fi
-
-if test "$SEMS_GROUP" ; then
-  PARAMS="$PARAMS -g $SEMS_GROUP"
-fi
-
-if test "$SEMS_CFG_FILE" ; then
-  PARAMS="$PARAMS -f $SEMS_CFG_FILE"
-  CFGPARAMS="-f $SEMS_CFG_FILE"
-fi
-
-if [ -x /usr/sbin/ngcp-virt-identify ]; then
-  if /usr/sbin/ngcp-virt-identify --type container; then
-    VIRT="yes"
-  fi
-fi
-
-if test "$SEMS_CREATE_CORE" = "yes" ; then
-  if [ "$VIRT" = "yes" ]; then
-    echo "Container environment detected. Skipping core dump configuration."
-  else
-    ulimit -c unlimited
-  fi
-fi
-
-if [ "$VIRT" = "yes" ]; then
-  echo "Container environment detected. Skipping file descriptors limit configuration."
-else
-  # raise file descriptors limit - call hold consumes two fds for RTP ports and one for moh file
-  ulimit -n 100000
-fi
-
-if ! test -f $DAEMON ; then
-  echo "Error: cannot find $DAEMON"
-  exit 0
-fi
-
-LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/ngcp-sems
-export LD_LIBRARY_PATH
-
-set -e
-
-. /lib/lsb/init-functions
-
-case "$1" in
-  start)
-	if [ -x /usr/sbin/ngcp-check_active ]; then
-		if ! /usr/sbin/ngcp-check_active -q; then
-			echo "Ignored start action in inactive node"
-			exit 0
-		fi
-	fi
-	echo "Starting $DESC: $NAME"
-	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --oknodo --pidfile $SEMS_PIDFILE \
-		--exec $DAEMON -- $PARAMS
-	log_end_msg $?
-	;;
-  stop)
-	echo -n "Stopping $DESC: $NAME"
-	start-stop-daemon --oknodo --stop --quiet --pidfile $SEMS_PIDFILE \
-		--signal 9 --exec $DAEMON
-	log_end_msg $?
-	;;
-  restart|force-reload)
-	echo "Restarting $DESC: $NAME"
-	start-stop-daemon --oknodo --stop --quiet --pidfile \
-		$SEMS_PIDFILE --signal 9 --exec $DAEMON
-	if [ -x /usr/sbin/ngcp-check_active ]; then
-		if ! /usr/sbin/ngcp-check_active -q; then
-		  echo "Ignored start action in inactive node"
-		  exit 0
-		fi
-	fi
-	sleep 5
-	start-stop-daemon --oknodo --start --quiet --pidfile \
-		$SEMS_PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON  -- $PARAMS
-	echo "."
-	;;
-  status)
-       status_of_proc "$DAEMON" "$NAME" && exit 0 || exit $?
-       ;;
-  *)
-	N=/etc/init.d/$NAME
-	# echo "Usage: $N {start|stop|restart|reload|force-reload}" >&2
-	echo "Usage: $N {start|stop|restart|force-reload|status}" >&2
-	exit 1
-	;;
-esac
-
-exit 0
-
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-sems.links b/debian/ngcp-sems.links
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..47d6acad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/ngcp-sems.links
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+lib/systemd/system/ngcp-sems.service lib/systemd/system/sems.service
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-sems.lintian-overrides b/debian/ngcp-sems.lintian-overrides
index 9b7c52b8..8de5065b 100644
--- a/debian/ngcp-sems.lintian-overrides
+++ b/debian/ngcp-sems.lintian-overrides
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 ngcp-sems: possible-gpl-code-linked-with-openssl
+ngcp-sems: init.d-script-not-included-in-package etc/init.d/ngcp-sems
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-sems.maintscript b/debian/ngcp-sems.maintscript
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fea423b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/ngcp-sems.maintscript
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+rm_conffile /etc/default/ngcp-sems 1:1.6.0-1+0~mr6.3.0.0+0~ ngcp-sems
+rm_conffile /etc/init.d/ngcp-sems 1:1.6.0-1+0~mr6.3.0.0+0~ ngcp-sems
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-sems.postinst b/debian/ngcp-sems.postinst
index 73acc76d..c7717538 100644
--- a/debian/ngcp-sems.postinst
+++ b/debian/ngcp-sems.postinst
@@ -2,14 +2,11 @@
 
 set -e
 
-dpkg-maintscript-helper rm_conffile /etc/default/sems -- "$@"
-dpkg-maintscript-helper rm_conffile /etc/init.d/sems -- "$@"
-
 case "$1" in
   configure)
     # add sems user
     adduser --quiet --system --group --disabled-password --shell /bin/false \
-      --gecos "SIP Express Media Server" --home /var/run/ngcp-sems sems || true
+      --gecos "SIP Express Media Server" --home /run/ngcp-sems sems || true
   ;;
   abort-upgrade|abort-remove|abort-deconfigure)
     exit 0
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-sems.preinst b/debian/ngcp-sems.preinst
deleted file mode 100644
index d91d7457..00000000
--- a/debian/ngcp-sems.preinst
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-set -e
-
-if [ -x "/etc/init.d/sems" ]; then
-	update-rc.d sems remove >/dev/null
-fi
-
-dpkg-maintscript-helper rm_conffile /etc/default/sems -- "$@"
-dpkg-maintscript-helper rm_conffile /etc/init.d/sems -- "$@"
-
-#DEBHELPER#
-
-exit 0
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-sems.service b/debian/ngcp-sems.service
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b4c695f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/ngcp-sems.service
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=NGCP SIP Express Media Server (SEMS)
+After=mariadb.service
+After=network-online.target
+After=remote-fs.target
+Requires=mariadb.service
+Requires=remote-fs.target
+Wants=network-online.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+User=sems
+Group=sems
+Environment=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/sems-pbx
+PassEnvironment=LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+PIDFile=/run/ngcp-sems/ngcp-sems.pid
+Restart=always
+StartLimitInterval=10
+StartLimitBurst=5
+ExecStart=/usr/sbin/ngcp-sems -E -u sems -g sems -P /run/ngcp-sems/ngcp-sems.pid -f /etc/ngcp-sems/sems.conf
+LimitNOFILE=100000
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+Alias=sems.service
diff --git a/debian/ngcp-sems.tmpfiles.d.conf b/debian/ngcp-sems.tmpfiles.d.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cc7cec4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/ngcp-sems.tmpfiles.d.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+d /run/ngcp-sems 0755 sems sems
+d /var/cache/ngcp-sems 0755 sems sems
+d /var/cache/ngcp-sems/audio_cache 0755 sems sems
+d /var/cache/ngcp-sems/callingcard 0755 sems sems
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 85d01ab8..30639dff 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ override_dh_auto_install:
 	dh_python2
 	dh_python2 /usr/lib/$(APP_NAME)
 
+	# config file needed to create cache and run dirs with tmpfiles.d (there
+	# is no .install file to make )
+	mkdir -p $(CURDIR)/debian/$(APP_NAME)/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/
+	cp $(CURDIR)/debian/ngcp-sems.tmpfiles.d.conf $(CURDIR)/debian/$(APP_NAME)/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/ngcp-sems.conf
+
 override_dh_strip:
 	dh_strip --dbgsym-migration='$(APP_NAME)-dbg (<= 1:1.6.0-1+0~mr6.0.0.0)'
 	# MT#7431 those binaries aren't automatically stripped