diff --git a/init/Makefile b/init/Makefile
index 821d4ddf..3b093cd1 100644
--- a/init/Makefile
+++ b/init/Makefile
@@ -41,11 +41,13 @@ make_dirs:
 	fi
 
 soft_copy_files:
-	if [ -f /etc/rc.local ] ; then \
-		echo "/etc/rc.local left unmodified" ; \
+	if [ -f /etc/systemd/system/rv.service ] ; then \
+		echo "/etc/systemd/system/rv.service left unmodified" ; \
 	else \
-		cp rc.local /etc; \
+		cp rv.service /etc/systemd/system; \
 	fi
+	systemctl enable rv.service
+	chmod +x pi_run.sh
 	if [ -f /etc/netsender.conf ] ; then \
 		echo "/etc/netsender.conf left unmodified" ; \
 	else \
@@ -54,11 +56,12 @@ soft_copy_files:
 	fi
 
 hard_copy_files:
-	if [ -f /etc/rc.local ] ; then \
-		echo "Backed up rc.local to /etc/rc.local.bak" ; \
-		cp /etc/rc.local /etc/rc.local.bak ; \
+	if [ -f /etc/systemd/system/rv.service ] ; then \
+		echo "/etc/systemd/system/rv.service overwritten" ; \
 	fi
-	cp -f rc.local /etc
+	cp -f rv.service /etc/systemd/system
+	systemctl enable rv.service
+	chmod +x pi_run.sh
 	if [ -f /etc/netsender.conf ] ; then \
 		echo "Backed up netsender.conf to /etc/netsender.conf.bak"; \
 		cp /etc/netsender.conf /etc/netsender.conf.bak ; \
@@ -76,6 +79,6 @@ syncreboot:
 clean: as_root
 	rm -rf /var/netsender
 	rm -rf /var/log/netsender
-	rm -rf /etc/rc.local
+	rm -rf /etc/systemd/system/rv.service
 	rm -rf /etc/netsender.conf
 	@echo "Clean complete"
diff --git a/init/rc.local b/init/pi_run.sh
similarity index 80%
rename from init/rc.local
rename to init/pi_run.sh
index 11aa983e..22e69769 100644
--- a/init/rc.local
+++ b/init/pi_run.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh -e
-# /etc/rc.local
-# This script launches rv at boot time
+# This script launches rv on a pi, intended to run at boot time.
 
 RVPATH=/home/pi/go/src/bitbucket.org/ausocean/av/cmd/rv
 
@@ -35,5 +34,12 @@ GOPATH=$HOME/go
 RVPATH=$GOPATH/src/bitbucket.org/ausocean/av/cmd/rv
 PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin:$RVPATH
 cd $RVPATH
-sudo -u pi HOME=$HOME GOPATH=$GOPATH PATH=$PATH ./rv &
-exit 0
+sudo -u pi HOME=$HOME GOPATH=$GOPATH PATH=$PATH ./rv
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]
+then
+  echo "Successfully exited rv"
+  exit 0
+else
+  echo "rv exited with code: $?" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/init/rv.service b/init/rv.service
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..818bcc86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init/rv.service
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Netsender Client for Media Collection and Forwarding
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+ExecStart=/home/pi/go/src/bitbucket.org/ausocean/av/init/pi_run.sh
+Restart=on-failure
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
\ No newline at end of file