diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c61ea96c6..8945e1952 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/server/include/adminusers.h.in ${CMAKE_BINARY
 configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/server/test/maxscale_test.h.in ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/server/include/maxscale_test.h @ONLY)
 configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/etc/postinst.in ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/postinst @ONLY)
 configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/etc/postrm.in ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/postrm @ONLY)
+configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/etc/upstart/maxscale.conf.in ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/upstart/maxscale.conf @ONLY)
 configure_file(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/server/test/maxscale_test.cnf ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/maxscale.cnf @ONLY)
 
 set(FLAGS "-Wall -Wno-unused-variable -Wno-unused-function -Werror -fPIC" CACHE STRING "Compilation flags")
@@ -284,16 +285,20 @@ if(WITH_SCRIPTS)
     message(STATUS "maxscale.conf will unpack to: /etc/ld.so.conf.d")
     message(STATUS "startup scripts will unpack to to: /etc/init.d")
     message(STATUS "systemd service files will unpack to to: /usr/lib/systemd/system")
+    message(STATUS "upstart files will unpack to: /etc/init/")
   install(PROGRAMS ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/maxscale DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR} )
   install(FILES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/maxscale.conf DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR})
   install(FILES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/maxscale.service DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR})
+  install(FILES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/upstart/maxscale.conf DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR}/upstart/)
   else()
   install(PROGRAMS ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/maxscale DESTINATION /etc/init.d)
   install(FILES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/maxscale.conf DESTINATION /etc/ld.so.conf.d)
   install(FILES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/maxscale.service DESTINATION /usr/lib/systemd/system)
+  install(FILES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/upstart/maxscale.conf DESTINATION /etc/init/)
   message(STATUS "Installing maxscale.conf to: /etc/ld.so.conf.d")
   message(STATUS "Installing startup scripts to: /etc/init.d")
   message(STATUS "Installing systemd service files to: /usr/lib/systemd/system")
+  message(STATUS "Installing upstart files to: /etc/init/")
   endif()
 endif()
 
diff --git a/etc/postinst.in b/etc/postinst.in
index ed155b2b1..91c0e09c8 100755
--- a/etc/postinst.in
+++ b/etc/postinst.in
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ then
         systemctl daemon-reload
     fi
 else
+    if [ -d "/etc/init/" ]
+    then
+        cp @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR@/upstart/maxscale.conf /etc/init/
+    fi
+
     # If systemd is not present, use init.d scripts
     if [ -f "@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR@/maxscale" ]
     then
diff --git a/etc/upstart/maxscale.conf.in b/etc/upstart/maxscale.conf.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bbbc89b5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/upstart/maxscale.conf.in
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# MaxScale service
+
+description "MariaDB MaxScale"
+
+start on stopped rc RUNLEVEL=[2345]
+stop on starting rc runlevel [!2345]
+
+# Respawn the process on abnormal exits
+respawn
+
+# Uncomment this to limit respawns to two every five minutes
+# respawn limit 2 5
+
+# Unlimited open files
+limit nofile unlimited unlimited
+
+# Make sure /var/run/maxscale exists
+pre-start exec /usr/bin/install -d -o maxscale -g maxscale @MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/run/maxscale
+
+# Change the user to maxscale:maxscale
+setuid maxscale
+setgid maxscale
+
+# Start MaxScale
+expect fork
+exec /usr/bin/maxscale