diff --git a/.github/workflows/package.yml b/.github/workflows/package.yml
index e1b8e69cc..1717c158d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/package.yml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ jobs:
             libjson-c-dev libnuma-dev libprotobuf-c-dev libreadline-dev \
             librtr-dev libsmartcols-dev libtool libyang-dev meson ninja-build \
             patch pkg-config protobuf-c-compiler python3-dev python3-pyelftools \
-            texinfo
+            systemd-dev texinfo
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0 # force fetch all history
diff --git a/cli/meson.build b/cli/meson.build
index af22f6373..32589bbe2 100644
--- a/cli/meson.build
+++ b/cli/meson.build
@@ -23,3 +23,9 @@ if not compiler.has_function(
 endif
 
 cli_inc += include_directories('.')
+
+install_data(
+  files('grcli.bash-completion'),
+  rename: ['grcli'],
+  install_dir: get_option('datadir') / 'bash-completion/completions',
+)
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 1aed0f8f4..a55f239f8 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Build-Depends:
  patch,
  pkg-config,
  python3-pyelftools,
+ systemd-dev,
 Standards-Version: 4.7.0
 Rules-Requires-Root: no
 Homepage: https://github.com/DPDK/grout
diff --git a/debian/grout.bash-completion b/debian/grout.bash-completion
deleted file mode 100644
index b92095326..000000000
--- a/debian/grout.bash-completion
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-main/grout.bash-completion grcli
-cli/grcli.bash-completion grout
diff --git a/debian/grout.install b/debian/grout.install
index 033c8531a..a54dbb56f 100644
--- a/debian/grout.install
+++ b/debian/grout.install
@@ -2,5 +2,8 @@
 /etc/grout.init
 /usr/bin/grcli
 /usr/bin/grout
+/usr/lib/systemd/system/grout.service
+/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/grcli
+/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/grout
 /usr/share/man/man1/grcli.1
 /usr/share/man/man8/grout.8
diff --git a/debian/grout.service b/debian/grout.service
deleted file mode 120000
index 05f1f9e6e..000000000
--- a/debian/grout.service
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../main/grout.service
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 3076767a8..51793cdff 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ override_dh_auto_configure:
 
 override_dh_auto_install:
 	meson install -C $(build) --skip-subprojects --destdir=$(dest)
-	install -D -m 644 main/grout.default $(dest)/etc/default/grout
-	install -D -m 644 main/grout.init $(dest)/etc/grout.init
 	install -D -m 0755 subprojects/dpdk/usertools/dpdk-telemetry-exporter.py \
 		$(dest)/usr/bin/grout-telemetry-exporter
 	install -D -m 0644 -t $(dest)/usr/share/dpdk/telemetry-endpoints \
diff --git a/main/meson.build b/main/meson.build
index f3a11b200..5f5eeff53 100644
--- a/main/meson.build
+++ b/main/meson.build
@@ -27,3 +27,27 @@ tests += [
     ],
   },
 ]
+
+systemd_dep = dependency('systemd', required: false)
+if systemd_dep.found()
+  systemd_system_unit_dir = systemd_dep.get_variable(
+    pkgconfig: 'systemdsystemunitdir',
+    pkgconfig_define: ['prefix', get_option('prefix')]
+  )
+  install_data(
+    files('grout.service'),
+    install_dir: systemd_system_unit_dir,
+  )
+  install_data(
+    files('grout.default'),
+    rename: ['grout'],
+    install_dir: get_option('sysconfdir') / 'default',
+  )
+  install_data('grout.init', install_dir: get_option('sysconfdir'))
+endif
+
+install_data(
+  files('grout.bash-completion'),
+  rename: ['grout'],
+  install_dir: get_option('datadir') / 'bash-completion/completions',
+)
diff --git a/rpm/grout.spec b/rpm/grout.spec
index 02c8645b0..4b75edbd6 100644
--- a/rpm/grout.spec
+++ b/rpm/grout.spec
@@ -81,11 +81,6 @@ FRR dplane plugin for grout
 %install
 %meson_install --skip-subprojects
 
-install -D -m 0644 main/grout.default %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/default/grout
-install -D -m 0644 main/grout.init %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/grout.init
-install -D -m 0644 main/grout.service %{buildroot}%{_unitdir}/grout.service
-install -D -m 0644 main/grout.bash-completion %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/bash-completion/completions/grout
-install -D -m 0644 cli/grcli.bash-completion %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/bash-completion/completions/grcli
 install -D -m 0755 subprojects/dpdk/usertools/dpdk-telemetry-exporter.py %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/grout-telemetry-exporter
 install -D -m 0644 -t %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/dpdk/telemetry-endpoints subprojects/dpdk/usertools/telemetry-endpoints/*