diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 1b7805e..68a01f7 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ mistral_pip_packages:
   - mistral
   - PyMySQL
   - python-memcached
+  - systemd-python
   - uwsgi
 mistral_optional_oslomsg_amqp1_pip_packages:
   - oslo.messaging[amqp1]
diff --git a/tasks/mistral_install.yml b/tasks/mistral_install.yml
index c78c77a..b920ec5 100644
--- a/tasks/mistral_install.yml
+++ b/tasks/mistral_install.yml
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@
     - path: "/etc/mistral"
       mode: "0750"
     - path: "{{ mistral_system_user_home }}"
-    - path: "/var/log/mistral"
-      mode: "0755"
 
 - name: Install distro packages
   package:
diff --git a/templates/mistral-uwsgi.ini.j2 b/templates/mistral-uwsgi.ini.j2
index 0ea2f4e..4781cc8 100644
--- a/templates/mistral-uwsgi.ini.j2
+++ b/templates/mistral-uwsgi.ini.j2
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ lazy-apps = true
 add-header = Connection: close
 buffer-size = {{ mistral_wsgi_buffer_size }}
 thunder-lock = true
-logfile-chmod = 644
+disable-logging = true
 pidfile = /var/run/{{ item.service_name }}/{{ item.service_name }}.pid
 
 # Avoid filling up the logs with health check requests from haproxy.
diff --git a/templates/mistral.conf.j2 b/templates/mistral.conf.j2
index 3a0933e..139d1aa 100644
--- a/templates/mistral.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/mistral.conf.j2
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 [DEFAULT]
 debug = {{ mistral_debug }}
-log_dir = /var/log/mistral
+use_journal = True
 transport_url = {{ mistral_oslomsg_rpc_transport }}://{% for host in mistral_oslomsg_rpc_servers.split(',') %}{{ mistral_oslomsg_rpc_userid }}:{{ mistral_oslomsg_rpc_password }}@{{ host }}:{{ mistral_oslomsg_rpc_port }}{% if not loop.last %},{% else %}/{{ mistral_oslomsg_rpc_vhost }}{% if mistral_oslomsg_rpc_use_ssl | bool %}?ssl=1{% else %}?ssl=0{% endif %}{% endif %}{% endfor %}
 
 [api]
diff --git a/vars/debian.yml b/vars/debian.yml
index aa783e3..5c0c52d 100644
--- a/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/vars/debian.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 mistral_devel_distro_packages:
   - git-core
+  - libsystemd-dev
 
 mistral_distro_packages:
   - libxml2
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ mistral_distro_packages:
 
 mistral_service_distro_packages:
   - python3-mistral
+  - python3-systemd
   - uwsgi
   - uwsgi-plugin-python3
 
diff --git a/vars/redhat-7.yml b/vars/redhat-7.yml
index befde0e..2e18a44 100644
--- a/vars/redhat-7.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat-7.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 mistral_devel_distro_packages:
   - git
+  - systemd-devel
 
 mistral_distro_packages: []
 
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ mistral_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-mistral-engine
   - openstack-mistral-executor
   - openstack-mistral-notifier
+  - systemd-python
 
 mistral_oslomsg_amqp1_distro_packages:
   - cyrus-sasl-lib
diff --git a/vars/suse.yml b/vars/suse.yml
index 7f8e201..2c0612f 100644
--- a/vars/suse.yml
+++ b/vars/suse.yml
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@
 
 mistral_devel_distro_packages:
   - git
+  - systemd-devel
 
 mistral_distro_packages: []
 
 mistral_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-mistral
+  - python-systemd
 
 mistral_oslomsg_amqp1_distro_packages:
   - cyrus-sasl