diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index 4bc00ebbb..f62349cc5 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
   $proxy_cache_inactive   = $nginx::params::nx_proxy_cache_inactive,
   $configtest_enable      = $nginx::params::nx_configtest_enable,
   $service_restart        = $nginx::params::nx_service_restart,
+  $service_ensure         = $nginx::params::nx_service_ensure,
   $mail                   = $nginx::params::nx_mail,
   $server_tokens          = $nginx::params::nx_server_tokens,
   $client_max_body_size   = $nginx::params::nx_client_max_body_size,
@@ -141,8 +142,6 @@
   }
 
   class { 'nginx::service':
-    configtest_enable => $configtest_enable,
-    service_restart   => $service_restart,
   }
 
   create_resources('nginx::resource::upstream', $nginx_upstreams)
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index 48a771013..b887cc689 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
 
   $nx_configtest_enable = false
   $nx_service_restart = '/etc/init.d/nginx configtest && /etc/init.d/nginx restart'
+  $nx_service_ensure = running
 
   $nx_mail = false
 
diff --git a/manifests/service.pp b/manifests/service.pp
index 2ec38b51d..e02c35be4 100644
--- a/manifests/service.pp
+++ b/manifests/service.pp
@@ -14,17 +14,25 @@
 #
 # This class file is not called directly
 class nginx::service(
-  $configtest_enable = $nginx::params::nx_configtest_enable,
-  $service_restart   = $nginx::params::nx_service_restart
+  $configtest_enable = $nginx::configtest_enable,
+  $service_restart   = $nginx::service_restart,
+  $service_ensure    = $nginx::service_ensure,
 ) {
 
   if $caller_module_name != $module_name {
     warning("${name} is deprecated as a public API of the ${module_name} module and should no longer be directly included in the manifest.")
   }
+  
+  $service_enable = $service_ensure ? {
+    running => true,
+    absent => false,
+    stopped => false,
+    default => true,
+  }
 
   service { 'nginx':
-    ensure     => running,
-    enable     => true,
+    ensure     => $service_ensure,
+    enable     => $service_enable,
     hasstatus  => true,
     hasrestart => true,
   }
diff --git a/spec/classes/service_spec.rb b/spec/classes/service_spec.rb
index 9e8e7ce1c..300316e5d 100644
--- a/spec/classes/service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/service_spec.rb
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@
     :operatingsystem => 'debian',
   } end
 
-  let :pre_condition do
-    [
-      'include ::nginx::params',
-    ]
-  end
+  let :params do {
+      :configtest_enable => false,
+      :service_restart => '/etc/init.d/nginx configtest && /etc/init.d/nginx restart',
+      :service_ensure => 'running',
+  } end   
 
   context "using default parameters" do
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
   end
 
   describe "when configtest_enable => true" do
-    let(:params) {{ :configtest_enable => true }}
+    let(:params) {{ :configtest_enable => true,  :service_restart => '/etc/init.d/nginx configtest && /etc/init.d/nginx restart'}}
     it { should contain_service('nginx').with_restart('/etc/init.d/nginx configtest && /etc/init.d/nginx restart') }
 
     context "when service_restart => 'a restart command'" do