diff --git a/init/ubuntu b/init/ubuntu
index dac2076..511d9ee 100644
--- a/init/ubuntu
+++ b/init/ubuntu
@@ -26,48 +26,89 @@ NAME=couchpotato
 # App name
 DESC=CouchPotato
 
-# Path to app root
-CP_APP_PATH=${APP_PATH-/usr/local/sbin/CouchPotatoServer/}
+## Don't edit this file
+## Edit user configuation in /etc/default/couchpotato to change
+##
+## CP_USER= #$RUN_AS, username to run couchpotato under, the default is couchpotato
+## CP_HOME= #$APP_PATH, the location of couchpotato.py, the default is /opt/couchpotato
+## CP_DATA= #$DATA_DIR, the location of couchpotato.db, cache, logs, the default is /var/couchpotato
+## CP_PIDFILE= #$PID_FILE, the location of couchpotato.pid, the default is /var/run/couchpotato.pid
+## PYTHON_BIN= #$DAEMON, the location of the python binary, the default is /usr/bin/python
+## CP_OPTS= #$EXTRA_DAEMON_OPTS, extra cli option for couchpotato, i.e. " --config_file=/home/couchpotato/couchpotato.ini"
+## SSD_OPTS= #$EXTRA_SSD_OPTS, extra start-stop-daemon option like " --group=users"
+##
+## EXAMPLE if want to run as different user
+## add CP_USER=username to /etc/default/couchpotato
+## otherwise default couchpotato is used
+
+# Run CP as username
+RUN_AS=${CP_USER-couchpotato}
+
+# Path to app 
+# CP_HOME=path_to_app_CouchPotato.py
+APP_PATH=${CP_HOME-/opt/couchpotato/}
+
+# Data directory where couchpotato.db, cache and logs are stored
+DATA_DIR=${CP_DATA-/var/couchpotato}
 
-# User to run CP as
-CP_RUN_AS=${RUN_AS-root}
+# Path to store PID file
+PID_FILE=${CP_PID_FILE-/var/run/couchpotato.pid}
 
-# Path to python bin
-CP_DAEMON=${DAEMON_PATH-/usr/bin/python}
+# path to python bin
+DAEMON=${PYTHON_BIN-/usr/bin/python}
 
-# Path to store PID file
-CP_PID_FILE=${PID_FILE-/var/run/couchpotato.pid}
+# Extra daemon option like: CP_OPTS=" --config=/home/couchpotato/couchpotato.ini"
+EXTRA_DAEMON_OPTS=${CP_OPTS-}
+
+# Extra start-stop-daemon option like START_OPTS=" --group=users"
+EXTRA_SSD_OPTS=${SSD_OPTS-}
+
+
+PID_PATH=`dirname $PID_FILE`
+DAEMON_OPTS=" CouchPotato.py --quiet --daemon --pid_file=${PID_FILE} --data_dir=${DATA_DIR} ${EXTRA_DAEMON_OPTS}"
 
-# Other startup args
-CP_DAEMON_OPTS=" CouchPotato.py --daemon --pid_file=${CP_PID_FILE}"
 
-test -x $CP_DAEMON || exit 0
+test -x $DAEMON || exit 0
 
 set -e
 
-. /lib/lsb/init-functions
+# Create PID directory if not exist and ensure the CouchPotato user can write to it
+if [ ! -d $PID_PATH ]; then
+    mkdir -p $PID_PATH
+    chown $RUN_AS $PID_PATH
+fi
+
+if [ ! -d $DATA_DIR ]; then
+    mkdir -p $DATA_DIR
+    chown $RUN_AS $DATA_DIR
+fi
+
+if [ -e $PID_FILE ]; then
+    PID=`cat $PID_FILE`
+    if ! kill -0 $PID > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+        echo "Removing stale $PID_FILE"
+        rm $PID_FILE
+    fi
+fi
 
 case "$1" in
   start)
         echo "Starting $DESC"
-        rm -rf $CP_PID_FILE || return 1
-        touch $CP_PID_FILE
-        chown $CP_RUN_AS $CP_PID_FILE
-        start-stop-daemon -d $CP_APP_PATH -c $CP_RUN_AS --start --background --pidfile $CP_PID_FILE --exec $CP_DAEMON -- $CP_DAEMON_OPTS
+        start-stop-daemon -d $APP_PATH -c $RUN_AS $EXTRA_SSD_OPTS --start --pidfile $PID_FILE --exec $DAEMON -- $DAEMON_OPTS
         ;;
   stop)
         echo "Stopping $DESC"
-        start-stop-daemon --stop --pidfile $CP_PID_FILE --retry 15
+        start-stop-daemon --stop --pidfile $PID_FILE --retry 15
         ;;
 
   restart|force-reload)
         echo "Restarting $DESC"
-        start-stop-daemon --stop --pidfile $CP_PID_FILE --retry 15
-        start-stop-daemon -d $CP_APP_PATH -c $CP_RUN_AS --start --background --pidfile $CP_PID_FILE --exec $CP_DAEMON -- $CP_DAEMON_OPTS
+        start-stop-daemon --stop --pidfile $PID_FILE --retry 15
+        start-stop-daemon -d $APP_PATH -c $RUN_AS $EXTRA_SSD_OPTS --start --pidfile $PID_FILE --exec $DAEMON -- $DAEMON_OPTS
         ;;
 
   status)
-       status_of_proc -p $CP_PID_FILE "$CP_DAEMON" "$NAME"
+       status_of_proc -p $PID_FILE "$DAEMON" "$NAME"
         ;;
   *)
         N=/etc/init.d/$NAME
diff --git a/init/ubuntu.default b/init/ubuntu.default
index 0d1e712..00c523e 100644
--- a/init/ubuntu.default
+++ b/init/ubuntu.default
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-# COPY THIS FILE TO /etc/default/couchpotato
-# OPTIONS: APP_PATH, RUN_AS, DAEMON_PATH, CP_PID_FILE
+# COPY THIS FILE TO /etc/default/couchpotato 
+# OPTIONS: CP_HOME, CP_USER, CP_DATA, CP_PIDFILE, PYTHON_BIN, CP_OPTS, SSD_OPTS
 
-APP_PATH=
-RUN_AS=root
\ No newline at end of file
+CP_HOME=
+CP_USER=root
\ No newline at end of file