diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index a7867384a6fa..9c694db149b2 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
 
   grunt.config.merge(config);
 
-  config.userScriptsDir = __dirname + '/build/userScripts';
+  config.packageScriptsDir = __dirname + '/tasks/build/package_scripts';
   // ensure that these run first, other configs need them
   config.services = require('./tasks/config/services')(grunt);
   config.platforms = require('./tasks/config/platforms')(grunt);
diff --git a/tasks/build/osPackages.js b/tasks/build/osPackages.js
index 5153df3263ad..839782a9e3e5 100644
--- a/tasks/build/osPackages.js
+++ b/tasks/build/osPackages.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
   const exec = require('../utils/exec');
   const targetDir = config.get('target');
   const version = config.get('pkg.version');
-  const userScriptsDir = config.get('userScriptsDir');
+  const packageScriptsDir = config.get('packageScriptsDir');
   const servicesByName = indexBy(config.get('services'), 'name');
 
   grunt.registerTask('_build:osPackages', function () {
@@ -22,15 +22,19 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
         '--package', targetDir,
         '-s', 'dir', // input type
         '--name', 'kibana',
-        '--description', 'Explore\ and\ visualize\ your\ Elasticsearch\ data.',
+        '--description', 'Explore\ and\ visualize\ your\ Elasticsearch\ data',
         '--version', version,
         '--url', 'https://www.elastic.co',
         '--vendor', 'Elasticsearch,\ Inc.',
         '--maintainer', 'Kibana Team\ \<info@elastic.co\>',
         '--license', 'Apache\ 2.0',
-        '--after-install', resolve(userScriptsDir, 'installer.sh'),
-        '--after-remove', resolve(userScriptsDir, 'remover.sh'),
-        '--config-files', '/opt/kibana/config/kibana.yml'
+        '--after-install', resolve(packageScriptsDir, 'post_install.sh'),
+        '--before-install', resolve(packageScriptsDir, 'pre_install.sh'),
+        '--before-remove', resolve(packageScriptsDir, 'pre_remove.sh'),
+        '--after-remove', resolve(packageScriptsDir, 'post_remove.sh'),
+        '--config-files', '/opt/kibana/config/kibana.yml',
+        '--template-value', 'user=kibana',
+        '--template-value', 'group=kibana'
       ];
 
       const files = buildDir + '/=/opt/kibana';
diff --git a/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_install.sh b/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_install.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a7be3433ba54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -e
+
+user_check() {
+  getent passwd "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1
+}
+
+user_create() {
+  # Create a system user. A system user is one within the system uid range and
+  # has no expiration
+  useradd -r "$1"
+}
+
+if ! user_check "<%= user %>" ; then
+  user_create "<%= user %>"
+fi
+chown -R <%= user %>:<%= group %> /opt/kibana/optimize
diff --git a/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_remove.sh b/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_remove.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..43e8e5e6d4ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/build/package_scripts/post_remove.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -e
+
+user_check() {
+  getent passwd "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1
+}
+
+user_remove() {
+  userdel "$1"
+}
+
+REMOVE_USER=false
+
+case $1 in
+  # Includes cases for all valid arguments, exit 1 otherwise
+  # Debian
+  purge)
+    REMOVE_USER=true
+  ;;
+
+  remove|failed-upgrade|abort-install|abort-upgrade|disappear|upgrade|disappear)
+  ;;
+
+  # Red Hat
+  0)
+    REMOVE_USER=true
+  ;;
+
+  1)
+  ;;
+
+  *)
+      echo "post remove script called with unknown argument \`$1'" >&2
+      exit 1
+  ;;
+esac
+
+if [ "$REMOVE_USER" = "true" ]; then
+  if user_check "<%= user %>"  ; then
+    user_remove "<%= user %>"
+  fi
+fi
diff --git a/tasks/build/package_scripts/pre_install.sh b/tasks/build/package_scripts/pre_install.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4f3b6590a3a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/build/package_scripts/pre_install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -e
+
+if command -v systemctl >/dev/null && systemctl is-active kibana.service >/dev/null; then
+    systemctl --no-reload stop kibana.service
+elif [ -x /etc/init.d/kibana ]; then
+    if command -v invoke-rc.d >/dev/null; then
+        invoke-rc.d kibana stop
+    elif command -v service >/dev/null; then
+        service kibana stop
+    else
+        /etc/init.d/kibana stop
+    fi
+fi
diff --git a/tasks/build/package_scripts/pre_remove.sh b/tasks/build/package_scripts/pre_remove.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..07d0f341ccef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/build/package_scripts/pre_remove.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -e
+
+echo -n "Stopping kibana service..."
+if command -v systemctl >/dev/null && systemctl is-active kibana.service >/dev/null; then
+    systemctl --no-reload stop kibana.service
+elif [ -x /etc/init.d/kibana ]; then
+    if command -v invoke-rc.d >/dev/null; then
+        invoke-rc.d kibana stop
+    elif command -v service >/dev/null; then
+        service kibana stop
+    else
+        /etc/init.d/kibana stop
+    fi
+fi
+echo " OK"
diff --git a/tasks/build/pleaserun.js b/tasks/build/pleaserun.js
index 9f99955ad9ca..8b8444235a9d 100644
--- a/tasks/build/pleaserun.js
+++ b/tasks/build/pleaserun.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ module.exports = function createServices(grunt) {
   const { resolve } = require('path');
   const { appendFileSync } = require('fs');
   const exec = require('../utils/exec');
-  const userScriptsDir = grunt.config.get('userScriptsDir');
 
   grunt.registerTask('_build:pleaseRun', function () {
     // TODO(sissel): Detect if 'pleaserun' is found, and provide a useful error
@@ -23,9 +22,5 @@ module.exports = function createServices(grunt) {
         '/opt/kibana/bin/kibana'
       ]);
     });
-
-    grunt.file.mkdir(userScriptsDir);
-    exec('please-manage-user', ['--output', userScriptsDir, 'kibana']);
-    appendFileSync(resolve(userScriptsDir, 'installer.sh'), 'chown kibana:kibana /opt/kibana/optimize');
   });
 };