diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 60799b2..a8eb92c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -221,6 +221,26 @@ version = "0.4.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "28b9d6de7f49e22cf97ad17fc4036ece69300032f45f78f30b4a4482cdc3f4a6"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "const_format"
+version = "0.2.14"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c75ea7d6aeb2ebd1ee24f7b7e1b23242ef5a56b3a693733b99bfbe5ef31d0306"
+dependencies = [
+ "const_format_proc_macros",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "const_format_proc_macros"
+version = "0.2.14"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "29c36c619c422113552db4eb28cddba8faa757e33f758cc3415bd2885977b591"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote 1.0.9",
+ "unicode-xid 0.2.1",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "constant_time_eq"
 version = "0.1.5"
@@ -452,6 +472,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "caps",
  "clap",
  "colored",
+ "const_format",
  "crossbeam",
  "dialoguer",
  "dirs 3.0.1",
@@ -481,6 +502,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "markdown",
  "named_pipe",
  "notify",
+ "regex",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "serde_yaml",
diff --git a/espanso/Cargo.toml b/espanso/Cargo.toml
index 751243b..b518282 100644
--- a/espanso/Cargo.toml
+++ b/espanso/Cargo.toml
@@ -69,4 +69,6 @@ libc = "0.2.98"
 espanso-mac-utils = { path = "../espanso-mac-utils" } 
 
 [target.'cfg(target_os="linux")'.dependencies]
-caps = "0.5.2"
\ No newline at end of file
+caps = "0.5.2"
+const_format = "0.2.14"
+regex = "1.4.3"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/espanso/src/cli/service/linux.rs b/espanso/src/cli/service/linux.rs
index f789000..c0195b5 100644
--- a/espanso/src/cli/service/linux.rs
+++ b/espanso/src/cli/service/linux.rs
@@ -18,40 +18,216 @@
  */
 
 use anyhow::Result;
-use log::{info, warn};
-use std::process::Command;
-use std::{fs::create_dir_all, process::ExitStatus};
+use const_format::formatcp;
+use regex::Regex;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+use std::{fs::create_dir_all};
 use thiserror::Error;
 
-// const SERVICE_PLIST_CONTENT: &str = include_str!("../../res/macos/com.federicoterzi.espanso.plist");
-// const SERVICE_PLIST_FILE_NAME: &str = "com.federicoterzi.espanso.plist";
+use crate::{error_eprintln, info_println, warn_eprintln};
+
+const LINUX_SERVICE_NAME: &str = "espanso";
+const LINUX_SERVICE_CONTENT: &str = include_str!("../../res/linux/systemd.service");
+const LINUX_SERVICE_FILENAME: &str = &formatcp!("{}.service", LINUX_SERVICE_NAME);
 
 pub fn register() -> Result<()> {
-  todo!();
+  let service_file = get_service_file_path()?;
+
+  if service_file.exists() {
+    warn_eprintln!("service file already exists, this operation will overwrite it");
+  }
+
+  info_println!("creating service file in {:?}", service_file);
+  let espanso_path = std::env::current_exe().expect("unable to get espanso executable path");
+
+  let service_content = String::from(LINUX_SERVICE_CONTENT).replace(
+    "{{{espanso_path}}}",
+    &espanso_path.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
+  );
+
+  std::fs::write(service_file, service_content)?;
+
+  info_println!("enabling systemd service");
+
+  match Command::new("systemctl")
+    .args(&["--user", "enable", LINUX_SERVICE_NAME])
+    .status()
+  {
+    Ok(status) => {
+      if !status.success() {
+        return Err(RegisterError::SystemdEnableFailed.into());
+      }
+    }
+    Err(err) => {
+      error_eprintln!("unable to call systemctl: {}", err);
+      return Err(RegisterError::SystemdCallFailed(err.into()).into());
+    }
+  }
+
+  Ok(())
 }
 
 #[derive(Error, Debug)]
 pub enum RegisterError {
-  #[error("launchctl load failed")]
-  LaunchCtlLoadFailed,
+  #[error("systemctl command failed `{0}`")]
+  SystemdCallFailed(anyhow::Error),
+
+  #[error("systemctl enable failed")]
+  SystemdEnableFailed,
 }
 
 pub fn unregister() -> Result<()> {
-  todo!();
+  let service_file = get_service_file_path()?;
+
+  if !service_file.exists() {
+    return Err(UnregisterError::ServiceFileNotFound.into());
+  }
+
+  info_println!("disabling espanso systemd service");
+
+  match Command::new("systemctl")
+    .args(&["--user", "disable", LINUX_SERVICE_NAME])
+    .status()
+  {
+    Ok(status) => {
+      if !status.success() {
+        return Err(UnregisterError::SystemdDisableFailed.into());
+      }
+    }
+    Err(err) => {
+      error_eprintln!("unable to call systemctl: {}", err);
+      return Err(UnregisterError::SystemdCallFailed(err.into()).into());
+    }
+  }
+
+  info_println!("deleting espanso systemd entry");
+  std::fs::remove_file(service_file)?;
+
+  Ok(())
 }
 
 #[derive(Error, Debug)]
 pub enum UnregisterError {
-  #[error("plist entry not found")]
-  PlistNotFound,
+  #[error("service file not found")]
+  ServiceFileNotFound,
+
+  #[error("failed to disable systemd service")]
+  SystemdDisableFailed,
+
+  #[error("systemctl command failed `{0}`")]
+  SystemdCallFailed(anyhow::Error),
 }
 
 pub fn is_registered() -> bool {
-  todo!();
+  let res = Command::new("systemctl")
+    .args(&["--user", "is-enabled", LINUX_SERVICE_NAME])
+    .output();
+  if let Ok(output) = res {
+    if !output.status.success() {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    // Make sure the systemd service points to the right binary
+    lazy_static! {
+      static ref EXEC_PATH_REGEX: Regex = Regex::new("ExecStart=(?P<path>.*?)\\s").unwrap();
+    }
+
+    match Command::new("systemctl")
+      .args(&["--user", "cat", LINUX_SERVICE_NAME])
+      .output()
+    {
+      Ok(cmd_output) => {
+        let output = String::from_utf8_lossy(cmd_output.stdout.as_slice());
+        let output = output.trim();
+        if cmd_output.status.success() {
+          let caps = EXEC_PATH_REGEX.captures(output).unwrap();
+          let path = caps.get(1).map_or("", |m| m.as_str());
+          let espanso_path =
+            std::env::current_exe().expect("unable to get espanso executable path");
+
+          if espanso_path.to_string_lossy() != path {
+            error_eprintln!("Espanso is registered as a systemd service, but it points to another binary location:");
+            error_eprintln!("");
+            error_eprintln!("  {}", path);
+            error_eprintln!("");
+            error_eprintln!("This could have been caused by an update that changed its location.");
+            error_eprintln!("To solve the problem, please unregister and register espanso again with these commands:");
+            error_eprintln!("");
+            error_eprintln!("  espanso service unregister && espanso service register");
+            error_eprintln!("");
+
+            false
+          } else {
+            true
+          }
+        } else {
+          error_eprintln!("systemctl command returned non-zero exit code");
+          false
+        }
+      }
+      Err(err) => {
+        error_eprintln!("failed to execute systemctl: {}", err);
+        false
+      }
+    }
+  } else {
+    false
+  }
 }
 
 pub fn start_service() -> Result<()> {
-  todo!();
+  // Check if systemd is available in the system
+  match Command::new("systemctl")
+    .args(&["--version"])
+    .stdin(Stdio::null())
+    .stdout(Stdio::null())
+    .status()
+  {
+    Ok(status) => {
+      if !status.success() {
+        return Err(StartError::SystemctlNonZeroExitCode.into());
+      }
+    }
+    Err(_) => {
+      error_eprintln!(
+        "Systemd was not found in this system, which means espanso can't run in managed mode"
+      );
+      error_eprintln!("You can run it in unmanaged mode with `espanso service start --unmanaged`");
+      error_eprintln!("");
+      error_eprintln!("NOTE: unmanaged mode means espanso does not rely on the system service manager");
+      error_eprintln!("      to run, but as a result, you are in charge of starting/stopping espanso");
+      error_eprintln!("      when needed.");
+      return Err(StartError::SystemdNotFound.into());
+    }
+  }
+
+  if !is_registered() {
+    error_eprintln!("Unable to start espanso as a service as it's not been registered.");
+    error_eprintln!("You can either register it first with `espanso service register` or");
+    error_eprintln!("you can run it in unmanaged mode with `espanso service start --unmanaged`");
+    error_eprintln!("");
+    error_eprintln!("NOTE: unmanaged mode means espanso does not rely on the system service manager");
+    error_eprintln!("      to run, but as a result, you are in charge of starting/stopping espanso");
+    error_eprintln!("      when needed.");
+    return Err(StartError::NotRegistered.into());
+  }
+
+  match Command::new("systemctl")
+    .args(&["--user", "start", LINUX_SERVICE_NAME])
+    .status()
+  {
+    Ok(status) => {
+      if !status.success() {
+        return Err(StartError::SystemctlStartFailed.into());
+      }
+    }
+    Err(err) => {
+      return Err(StartError::SystemctlFailed(err.into()).into());
+    }
+  }
+
+  Ok(())
 }
 
 #[derive(Error, Debug)]
@@ -59,9 +235,33 @@ pub enum StartError {
   #[error("not registered as a service")]
   NotRegistered,
 
-  #[error("launchctl failed to run")]
-  LaunchCtlFailure,
+  #[error("systemd not found")]
+  SystemdNotFound,
 
-  #[error("launchctl exited with non-zero code `{0}`")]
-  LaunchCtlNonZeroExit(ExitStatus),
+  #[error("failed to start systemctl: `{0}`")]
+  SystemctlFailed(anyhow::Error),
+
+  #[error("systemctl non-zero exit code")]
+  SystemctlNonZeroExitCode,
+
+  #[error("failed to launch espanso service through systemctl")]
+  SystemctlStartFailed,
+}
+
+fn get_service_file_dir() -> Result<PathBuf> {
+  // User level systemd services should be placed in this directory:
+  // $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/systemd/user/, usually: ~/.config/systemd/user/
+  let config_dir = dirs::config_dir().expect("Could not get configuration directory");
+  let systemd_dir = config_dir.join("systemd");
+  let user_dir = systemd_dir.join("user");
+
+  if !user_dir.is_dir() {
+    create_dir_all(&user_dir)?;
+  }
+
+  Ok(user_dir)
+}
+
+fn get_service_file_path() -> Result<PathBuf> {
+  Ok(get_service_file_dir()?.join(LINUX_SERVICE_FILENAME))
 }
diff --git a/espanso/src/res/linux/systemd.service b/espanso/src/res/linux/systemd.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79e9078
--- /dev/null
+++ b/espanso/src/res/linux/systemd.service
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=espanso
+
+[Service]
+ExecStart={{{espanso_path}}} launcher 
+Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=3
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=default.target
+