diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index aeeccb69..85a60ba2 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ nova_system_shell: /bin/bash
 nova_system_comment: nova system user
 nova_system_home_folder: "/var/lib/{{ nova_system_user_name }}"
 nova_libvirt_save_path: "{{ nova_system_home_folder }}/save"
-nova_log_dir: "/var/log/nova"
 
 nova_lock_path: "/var/lock/nova"
 
@@ -529,6 +528,7 @@ nova_pip_packages:
   - python-memcached
   - python-novaclient
   - python-openstackclient
+  - systemd-python
   - uWSGI
 
 # Specific pip packages provided by the user
diff --git a/tasks/nova_pre_install.yml b/tasks/nova_pre_install.yml
index 201a27e9..20ad5408 100644
--- a/tasks/nova_pre_install.yml
+++ b/tasks/nova_pre_install.yml
@@ -124,34 +124,6 @@
   tags:
     - nova-dirs
 
-- name: Test for log directory or link
-  shell: |
-    if [ -h "{{ nova_log_dir }}"  ]; then
-      chown -h {{ nova_system_user_name }}:{{ nova_system_group_name }} "{{ nova_log_dir }}"
-      chown -R {{ nova_system_user_name }}:{{ nova_system_group_name }} "$(readlink {{ nova_log_dir }})"
-    else
-      exit 1
-    fi
-  register: log_dir
-  failed_when: false
-  changed_when: log_dir.rc != 0
-  tags:
-    - nova-dirs
-    - nova-logs
-
-- name: Create nova log dir
-  file:
-    path: "{{ nova_log_dir }}"
-    state: directory
-    owner: "{{ nova_system_user_name }}"
-    group: "{{ nova_system_group_name }}"
-    mode: "0755"
-  when:
-    - log_dir.rc != 0
-  tags:
-    - nova-dirs
-    - nova-logs
-
 - name: Drop sudoers file
   template:
     src: "sudoers.j2"
diff --git a/templates/nova-uwsgi.ini.j2 b/templates/nova-uwsgi.ini.j2
index e4cacdbc..186579ef 100644
--- a/templates/nova-uwsgi.ini.j2
+++ b/templates/nova-uwsgi.ini.j2
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ lazy-apps = true
 add-header = Connection: close
 buffer-size = {{ nova_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/nova.conf.j2 b/templates/nova.conf.j2
index 5698e115..dcd63cd4 100644
--- a/templates/nova.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/nova.conf.j2
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use_stderr = False
 # Logs / State
 debug = {{ debug }}
 fatal_deprecations = {{ nova_fatal_deprecations }}
-log_dir = {{ nova_log_dir }}
+use_journal = True
 state_path = {{ nova_system_home_folder }}
 rootwrap_config = /etc/nova/rootwrap.conf
 service_down_time = 120
diff --git a/vars/debian.yml b/vars/debian.yml
index 8bbe2c6b..40ce892c 100644
--- a/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/vars/debian.yml
@@ -24,17 +24,19 @@ nova_distro_packages:
   - genisoimage
   - git
   - iptables
-  - python-openstackclient
   - libpython2.7
+  - python-openstackclient
 
 nova_devel_distro_packages:
   - libpq-dev
+  - libsystemd-dev
   - libxml2-dev
   - python-httplib2
 
 nova_service_distro_packages:
   - python3-nova
   - python3-memcache
+  - python3-systemd
 
 nova_service_extra_distro_packages:
   kvm:
diff --git a/vars/redhat-7.yml b/vars/redhat-7.yml
index 6aaf146e..06455d9b 100644
--- a/vars/redhat-7.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat-7.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ nova_distro_packages:
 nova_devel_distro_packages:
   - libxml2-devel
   - postgresql-devel
+  - systemd-devel
   - which
 
 nova_service_distro_packages:
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ nova_service_distro_packages:
   - python-memcached
   - python-novaclient
   - python2-PyMySQL
+  - systemd-python
 
 nova_service_extra_distro_packages:
   kvm:
diff --git a/vars/suse.yml b/vars/suse.yml
index 97709339..7e475a13 100644
--- a/vars/suse.yml
+++ b/vars/suse.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ nova_devel_distro_packages:
   - libxml2-devel
   - postgresql-devel
   - python-httplib2
+  - systemd-devel
 
 nova_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-nova-api
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ nova_service_distro_packages:
   - python-memcached
   - python-novaclient
   - python-PyMySQL
+  - python-systemd
 
 nova_service_extra_distro_packages:
   kvm: