diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0848510c..3ce8aa5f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -159,6 +159,17 @@ do anything.
 If the file is read from a script or in a pipeline, it will execute silently
 (by detecting whether it is connected to a TTY terminal).
 
+## CouchDB init.d script (for debian / ubuntu)
+
+If you want to start CouchDB with every system start, create the new init script
+
+    sudo rm /etc/init.d/couchdb
+    sudo curl --output /etc/init.d/couchdb https://raw.github.com/iriscouch/build-couchdb/init_script.sh
+    sudo chmod +x /etc/init.d/couchdb
+    
+Open the script (for example with vim `sudo vim /etc/init.d/couchdb`) and edit the lines marked with EDIT HERE
+Now you can start CouchDB with `/etc/init.d/couchdb start`
+
 ## Cheat Codes
 
 Build CouchDB supports some fancy tricks by entering cheat codes to the Rake
diff --git a/init_script.sh b/init_script.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..205d55c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/init_script.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+### BEGIN INIT INFO
+# Provides:          couchdb
+# Required-Start:    $remote_fs $syslog
+# Required-Stop:     $remote_fs $syslog
+# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
+# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
+# Short-Description: Apache CouchDB initscript
+# Description:       This file should be used to construct scripts to be
+#                    placed in /etc/init.d.
+### END INIT INFO
+
+###
+# Author: Arvid Gerstmann <dev@arvid-g.de>
+# Licensed under Apache 2.0 License.
+###
+
+### EDIT HERE ###
+NAME=couchdb
+DAEMON=/var/www/couchdb.arvid-g.de/bin/$NAME
+### EDIT HERE
+                                                                        
+##################################### DO NOT CHANGE SOMETHING BELOW THIS LINE!!! ############################
+
+PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin
+DESC="CouchDB Service"
+DAEMON_ARGS="-b"
+PIDFILE=/var/run/$NAME.pid
+SCRIPTNAME=/etc/init.d/$NAME
+
+# Exit if the package is not installed
+[ -x "$DAEMON" ] || exit 0
+
+# Read configuration variable file if it is present
+[ -r /etc/default/$NAME ] && . /etc/default/$NAME
+
+# Load the VERBOSE setting and other rcS variables
+. /lib/init/vars.sh
+
+# Define LSB log_* functions.
+# Depend on lsb-base (>= 3.2-14) to ensure that this file is present
+# and status_of_proc is working.
+. /lib/lsb/init-functions
+
+#
+# Function that starts the daemon/service
+#
+do_start()
+{
+  # Return
+	#   0 if daemon has been started
+	#   1 if daemon was already running
+	#   2 if daemon could not be started
+	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON --test > /dev/null \
+		|| return 1
+	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON -- \
+		$DAEMON_ARGS \
+		|| return 2
+}
+
+#
+# Function that stops the daemon/service
+#
+do_stop()
+{
+	# Return
+	#   0 if daemon has been stopped
+	#   1 if daemon was already stopped
+	#   2 if daemon could not be stopped
+	#   other if a failure occurred
+	start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --retry=TERM/30/KILL/5 --pidfile $PIDFILE --name $NAME
+	RETVAL="$?"
+	[ "$RETVAL" = 2 ] && return 2
+	start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --oknodo --retry=0/30/KILL/5 --exec $DAEMON
+	[ "$?" = 2 ] && return 2
+	rm -f $PIDFILE
+	return "$RETVAL"
+}
+
+#
+# Function that sends a SIGHUP to the daemon/service
+#
+do_reload() {
+	start-stop-daemon --stop --signal 1 --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --name $NAME
+	return 0
+}
+
+case "$1" in
+  start)
+	[ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Starting $DESC" "$NAME"
+	do_start
+	case "$?" in
+		0|1) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
+		2) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1 ;;
+	esac
+	;;
+  stop)
+	[ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Stopping $DESC" "$NAME"
+	do_stop
+	case "$?" in
+		0|1) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
+		2) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1 ;;
+	esac
+	;;
+  status)
+       status_of_proc "$DAEMON" "$NAME" && exit 0 || exit $?
+       ;;
+  restart|force-reload)
+	log_daemon_msg "Restarting $DESC" "$NAME"
+	do_stop
+	case "$?" in
+	  0|1)
+		do_start
+		case "$?" in
+			0) log_end_msg 0 ;;
+			1) log_end_msg 1 ;; # Old process is still running
+			*) log_end_msg 1 ;; # Failed to start
+		esac
+		;;
+	  *)
+	  	# Failed to stop
+		log_end_msg 1
+		;;
+	esac
+	;;
+  *)
+	echo "Usage: $SCRIPTNAME {start|stop|status|restart|force-reload}" >&2
+	exit 3
+	;;
+esac
+
+: