diff --git a/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm-trinity.install b/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm-trinity.install
index ee58a0559..2ee6a8bf7 100644
--- a/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm-trinity.install
+++ b/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm-trinity.install
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 debian/local/tdm.options		etc/trinity/tdm/
+debian/tdm.service			lib/systemd/system/
 debian/tmp/etc/trinity/tdm/tdmrc
 debian/tmp/etc/trinity/tdm/Xaccess
 debian/tmp/etc/trinity/tdm/Xreset
diff --git a/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm-trinity.postinst b/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm-trinity.postinst
index 282662484..878244fca 100644
--- a/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm-trinity.postinst
+++ b/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm-trinity.postinst
@@ -44,6 +44,24 @@ if [ -e "$DEFAULT_DISPLAY_MANAGER_FILE.dpkg-tmp" ]; then
   rm "$DEFAULT_DISPLAY_MANAGER_FILE.dpkg-tmp"
 fi
 
+# set default-display-manager systemd service link according to our config
+DEFAULT_SERVICE=/etc/systemd/system/display-manager.service
+if [ "$1" = configure ] && [ -d /etc/systemd/system/ ]; then
+  if [ -e "$DEFAULT_DISPLAY_MANAGER_FILE" ]; then
+    SERVICE=/lib/systemd/system/$(basename $(cat "$DEFAULT_DISPLAY_MANAGER_FILE")).service
+    if [ -h "$DEFAULT_SERVICE" ] && [ $(readlink "$DEFAULT_SERVICE") = /dev/null ]; then
+      echo "Display manager service is masked" >&2
+    elif [ -e "$SERVICE" ]; then
+      ln -sf "$SERVICE" "$DEFAULT_SERVICE"
+    else
+      echo "WARNING: $SERVICE is the selected default display manager but does not exist" >&2
+      rm -f "$DEFAULT_SERVICE"
+    fi
+  else
+    rm -f "$DEFAULT_SERVICE"
+  fi
+fi
+
 # restarting the daemon may cause output to stdout
 db_stop
 
@@ -126,17 +144,23 @@ if [ -x "/etc/init.d/tdm-trinity" ]; then
   if [ -x "`which insserv 2>/dev/null`" ]; then
     insserv tdm-trinity >/dev/null
   else
-    update-rc.d tdm-trinity defaults 13 01 >/dev/null
+    if [ -x "`which update-rc.d 2>/dev/null`" ]; then
+      update-rc.d tdm-trinity defaults 13 01 >/dev/null
+    fi
   fi
 fi
 
 if [ -n "$NOSTART" ]; then
   exit 0
 else
-  if [ -x "`which invoke-rc.d 2>/dev/null`" ]; then
-    invoke-rc.d tdm-trinity start || true
+  if [ -x "`which service 2>/dev/null`" ]; then
+    service tdm-trinity start || true
   else
-    /etc/init.d/tdm-trinity start || true
+    if [ -x "`which invoke-rc.d 2>/dev/null`" ]; then
+      invoke-rc.d tdm-trinity start || true
+    else
+      /etc/init.d/tdm-trinity start || true
+    fi
   fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm.service b/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm.service
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..349823a9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/squeeze/tdebase/debian/tdm.service
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Trinity Display Manager
+Documentation=man:tdm-trinity(1)
+Conflicts=getty@tty7.service plymouth-quit.service
+After=systemd-user-sessions.service getty@tty7.service plymouth-quit.service
+
+[Service]
+# temporary safety check until all DMs are converted to correct
+# display-manager.service symlink handling
+ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c '[ "$(basename $(cat /etc/X11/default-display-manager 2>/dev/null))" = "tdm" ]'
+ExecStart=/opt/trinity/bin/tdm
+Restart=always