diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index b645e4b9..dd20ddfb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ jobs:
           build_type: Release
           build_deb: true
           defines: ""
-          
+
         - name: "macos-11"
           os: "macos-11"
           generator: "Unix Makefiles"
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ jobs:
           build_type: Release
           build_deb: false
           defines: ""
-          
+
     steps:
     - uses: FranzDiebold/github-env-vars-action@v2
 
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ jobs:
           jobs: 4
           build_type: Release
           build_deb: true
-          defines: "-DENABLE_CLANG_TIDY=ON"
+          defines: "-DENABLE_CLANG_TIDY=ON -DINSTALL_SYSTEMD_SERVICE=ON"
           ccov: false
 
         - name: "ubuntu_22.04"
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ jobs:
           jobs: 4
           build_type: Release
           build_deb: true
-          defines: "-DENABLE_CLANG_TIDY=ON"
+          defines: "-DENABLE_CLANG_TIDY=ON -DINSTALL_SYSTEMD_SERVICE=ON"
           ccov: false
 
         - name: "ubuntu_20.04 (debug+ccov)"
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ jobs:
           jobs: 3
           build_type: Release
           build_deb: true
-          defines: ""
+          defines: " -DINSTALL_SYSTEMD_SERVICE=ON"
           ccov: false
 
         - name: "raspberrypios_arm64"
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ jobs:
           jobs: 3
           build_type: Release
           build_deb: true
-          defines: ""
+          defines: "-DINSTALL_SYSTEMD_SERVICE=ON"
           ccov: false
 
         - name: "macos-11"
diff --git a/server/CMakeLists.txt b/server/CMakeLists.txt
index dd9ec3cf..c30a1d21 100644
--- a/server/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/server/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -395,6 +395,10 @@ install(TARGETS traintastic-server
     RUNTIME DESTINATION "/opt/traintastic/bin/"
 )
 
+if(INSTALL_SYSTEMD_SERVICE)
+  install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/debian/traintastic-server.service DESTINATION "/lib/systemd/system")
+endif()
+
 ### TEST ###
 
 include(CTest)
@@ -430,5 +434,6 @@ set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_MAINTAINER "Reinder Feenstra")
 set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_HOMEPAGE "https://traintastic.org")
 set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS ON)
 set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "traintastic-data (>= ${CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION})")
+set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_CONTROL_EXTRA "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/debian/postinst")
 
 include(CPack)
diff --git a/server/debian/postinst b/server/debian/postinst
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..09a67edc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/debian/postinst
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+
+# create traintastic group if it doesn't exist:
+if ! getent group traintastic >/dev/null; then
+  addgroup --system traintastic
+fi
+
+# create traintastic user if it doesn't exist:
+if ! getent passwd traintastic >/dev/null; then
+  adduser --system \
+          --ingroup traintastic \
+          --home /var/opt/traintastic \
+          --no-create-home \
+          --gecos "traintastic-server daemon" \
+          traintastic
+  usermod -a -G dialout,plugdev traintastic
+fi
+
+if [ ! -e /var/opt/traintastic ]; then
+  mkdir -p /var/opt/traintastic
+  chown traintastic:traintastic /var/opt/traintastic
+fi
+
+# Based on output by dh_installsystemd/13.6ubuntu1 (not auto generated due to CPack being used)
+if [ "$1" = "configure" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-upgrade" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-deconfigure" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-remove" ] ; then
+	# This will only remove masks created by d-s-h on package removal.
+	deb-systemd-helper unmask 'traintastic-server.service' >/dev/null || true
+
+	# was-enabled defaults to true, so new installations run enable.
+	if deb-systemd-helper --quiet was-enabled 'traintastic-server.service'; then
+		# Enables the unit on first installation, creates new
+		# symlinks on upgrades if the unit file has changed.
+		deb-systemd-helper enable 'traintastic-server.service' >/dev/null || true
+	else
+		# Update the statefile to add new symlinks (if any), which need to be
+		# cleaned up on purge. Also remove old symlinks.
+		deb-systemd-helper update-state 'traintastic-server.service' >/dev/null || true
+	fi
+fi
+
+if [ "$1" = "configure" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-upgrade" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-deconfigure" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-remove" ] ; then
+	if [ -d /run/systemd/system ]; then
+		systemctl --system daemon-reload >/dev/null || true
+		if [ -n "$2" ]; then
+			_dh_action=restart
+		else
+			_dh_action=start
+		fi
+		deb-systemd-invoke $_dh_action 'traintastic-server.service' >/dev/null || true
+	fi
+fi
diff --git a/server/debian/traintastic-server.service b/server/debian/traintastic-server.service
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7528f276
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/debian/traintastic-server.service
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+Description = Traintastic server daemon
+After = network.target
+
+[Service]
+Type = forking
+PIDFile = /run/traintastic-server.pid
+ExecStart = /opt/traintastic/bin/traintastic-server -d -u traintastic -g traintastic -D /var/opt/traintastic -P
+Restart = on-abort
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy = multi-user.target