diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 71993b72..2f83348f 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ octavia_pip_packages:
   - python-octaviaclient
   - octavia
   - shade
+  - systemd-python
   - uwsgi
 
 # Specific pip packages provided by the user
diff --git a/tasks/octavia_install.yml b/tasks/octavia_install.yml
index bd069a04..3ebd146b 100644
--- a/tasks/octavia_install.yml
+++ b/tasks/octavia_install.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     name: "python_venv_build"
   vars:
     venv_build_constraints: "{{ octavia_git_constraints }}"
+    venv_build_distro_package_list: "{{ octavia_devel_distro_packages }}"
     venv_install_destination_path: "{{ octavia_bin | dirname }}"
     venv_install_distro_package_list: "{{ octavia_distro_packages }}"
     venv_pip_install_args: "{{ octavia_pip_install_args }}"
diff --git a/tasks/octavia_pre_install.yml b/tasks/octavia_pre_install.yml
index 89381ea1..9948fb97 100644
--- a/tasks/octavia_pre_install.yml
+++ b/tasks/octavia_pre_install.yml
@@ -44,28 +44,3 @@
     - { path: "/etc/octavia/templates" }
     - { path: "/var/cache/octavia", mode: "0700" }
     - { path: "{{ octavia_system_home_folder }}" }
-
-- name: Test for log directory or link
-  shell: |
-    if [ -h "/var/log/octavia"  ]; then
-      chown -h {{ octavia_system_user_name }}:{{ octavia_system_group_name }} "/var/log/octavia"
-      chown -R {{ octavia_system_user_name }}:{{ octavia_system_group_name }} "$(readlink /var/log/octavia)"
-    else
-      exit 1
-    fi
-  register: log_dir
-  failed_when: false
-  changed_when: log_dir.rc != 0
-
-- name: Create octavia log dir
-  file:
-    path: "{{ item.path }}"
-    state: directory
-    owner: "{{ item.owner|default(octavia_system_user_name) }}"
-    group: "{{ item.group|default(octavia_system_group_name) }}"
-    mode: "{{ item.mode|default('0755') }}"
-  with_items:
-    - { path: "/var/log/octavia" }
-  when: log_dir.rc != 0
-
-
diff --git a/templates/octavia-uwsgi.ini.j2 b/templates/octavia-uwsgi.ini.j2
index 28549d9d..80dffcf4 100644
--- a/templates/octavia-uwsgi.ini.j2
+++ b/templates/octavia-uwsgi.ini.j2
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ lazy-apps = true
 add-header = Connection: close
 buffer-size = {{ octavia_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/octavia.conf.j2 b/templates/octavia.conf.j2
index 664ef972..66c8c5a4 100644
--- a/templates/octavia.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/octavia.conf.j2
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [DEFAULT]
 # Print debugging output (set logging level to DEBUG instead of default WARNING level).
 debug = {{ debug }}
-log_dir = /var/log/octavia
+use_journal = True
 
 {% if not octavia_v2|bool %}
 bind_host = 0.0.0.0
diff --git a/tests/os_octavia-overrides.yml b/tests/os_octavia-overrides.yml
index d78fa2c2..62e5d2b1 100644
--- a/tests/os_octavia-overrides.yml
+++ b/tests/os_octavia-overrides.yml
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ neutron_network_device_mtu: 1500
 neutron_l2_population: True
 neutron_dhcp_config:
   dhcp-option-force: "26,1500"
-  log-facility: "/var/log/neutron/neutron-dnsmasq.log"
 neutron_l3: True
 neutron_metadata: True
 
diff --git a/vars/debian.yml b/vars/debian.yml
index cd4e0a97..44e10f28 100644
--- a/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/vars/debian.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ octavia_distro_packages:
   - libxml2-dev
   - netfilter-persistent
 
+octavia_devel_distro_packages:
+  - libsystemd-dev
+
 octavia_service_distro_packages:
   - octavia-common
   - octavia-api
@@ -29,6 +32,7 @@ octavia_service_distro_packages:
   - octavia-housekeeping
   - octavia-worker
   - python-pymysql
+  - python-systemd
   - uwsgi
   - uwsgi-plugin-python
 
diff --git a/vars/redhat-7.yml b/vars/redhat-7.yml
index 3c3d7852..861ca2ce 100644
--- a/vars/redhat-7.yml
+++ b/vars/redhat-7.yml
@@ -19,12 +19,16 @@ octavia_distro_packages:
   - libxml2-devel
   - git
 
+octavia_devel_distro_packages:
+  - systemd-devel
+
 octavia_service_distro_packages:
   - openstack-octavia-common
   - openstack-octavia-api
   - openstack-octavia-health-manager
   - openstack-octavia-housekeeping
   - openstack-octavia-worker
+  - systemd-python
   - uwsgi
   - uwsgi-plugin-python
 
diff --git a/vars/suse.yml b/vars/suse.yml
index b3827cbe..619862e7 100644
--- a/vars/suse.yml
+++ b/vars/suse.yml
@@ -17,3 +17,6 @@ octavia_distro_packages:
   - iptables
   - libxml2-devel
   - git-core
+
+octavia_devel_distro_packages:
+  - systemd-devel
\ No newline at end of file