diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 828c33e..ec8d129 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -47,3 +47,6 @@ filebeat_apt_repo: "{{ filebeat_version|version_compare('5', '<')|ternary(filebe
 filebeat_repo_url_v1: https://packages.elastic.co/beats/yum/el/$basearch
 filebeat_repo_url_v5: https://artifacts.elastic.co/packages/5.x/yum
 filebeat_repo_url: "{{ filebeat_version|version_compare('5', '<')|ternary(filebeat_repo_url_v1, filebeat_repo_url_v5) }}"
+
+# Set to false for AMI building with packer
+start_services: true
diff --git a/handlers/main.yml b/handlers/main.yml
index 6c7742d..c9d4c24 100644
--- a/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/handlers/main.yml
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
   service:
     name: filebeat
     state: restarted
+  when: start_services
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index 18605e1..34c35ba 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -42,8 +42,22 @@
 - name: flush handlers to prevent start then restart
   meta: flush_handlers
 
-- name: start and enable filebeat
+- name: check if systemd present
+  stat:
+    path: /bin/systemctl
+  register: stat_result
+
+- name: reload systemd daemon
+  shell: "systemctl daemon-reload"
+  when: stat_result.stat.exists == true
+
+- name: enable filebeat
   service:
     name: filebeat
-    state: started
     enabled: true
+
+- name: start filebeat
+  service:
+    name: filebeat
+    state: started
+  when: start_services
diff --git a/tasks/redhat.yml b/tasks/redhat.yml
index f125b78..a4a4036 100644
--- a/tasks/redhat.yml
+++ b/tasks/redhat.yml
@@ -17,3 +17,12 @@
     state: present
   notify:
     - restart filebeat
+
+- name: modify filebeat service file to include environment variables
+  lineinfile:
+    path: /usr/lib/systemd/system/filebeat.service
+    regexp: '^EnvironmentFile=/etc/sysconfig/filebeat$'
+    line: "EnvironmentFile=/etc/sysconfig/filebeat"
+    insertafter: '^\[Service\]$'
+  notify:
+    - restart filebeat