diff --git a/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/package-installs.yaml b/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/package-installs.yaml
index 0ae0f6ebaa..b4a690ca94 100644
--- a/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/package-installs.yaml
+++ b/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/package-installs.yaml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ python-dev:
 python3-dev:
 uuid-runtime:
 traceroute:
+ntp:
 ntpdate:
 gentoolkit:
 at:
diff --git a/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/pkg-map b/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/pkg-map
index ea4c2a78ea..4b1c84f5e2 100644
--- a/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/pkg-map
+++ b/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/pkg-map
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     "gentoo": {
       "build-essential": "",
       "cron": "sys-process/cronie",
+      "ntp": "net-misc/ntp",
       "python-dev": "",
       "python3-dev": "",
       "traceroute": "net-analyzer/traceroute",
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@
       "build-essential": "glibc-devel gcc make",
       "dnsutils": "bind-utils",
       "iputils-ping": "iputils",
+      "ntp": "ntp ntp-perl",
       "python-dev": "python-devel",
       "python3-dev": "",
       "uuid-runtime": ""
diff --git a/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/post-install.d/80-enable-infra-services b/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/post-install.d/80-enable-infra-services
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..c6691faa12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nodepool/elements/infra-package-needs/post-install.d/80-enable-infra-services
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+if [ "${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE:-0}" -gt 0 ]; then
+    set -x
+fi
+set -eu
+set -o pipefail
+
+case "$DIB_INIT_SYSTEM" in
+    upstart)
+        # nothing to do
+        exit 0
+        ;;
+    systemd)
+        if [[ $DISTRO_NAME = "ubuntu" || $DISTRO_NAME = "debian" ]]; then
+            systemctl enable ntp.service
+        else
+            systemctl enable ntpd.service
+        fi
+        ;;
+    openrc)
+        # let dib-init-system's postinstall handle enabling init scripts
+        exit 0
+        ;;
+    sysv)
+        # ntp is enabled by default, nothing to do
+        exit 0
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Unsupported init system $DIB_INIT_SYSTEM"
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac