diff --git a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/deployment.adoc b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/deployment.adoc
index 9a1c64ca4e..b590083700 100644
--- a/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/deployment.adoc
+++ b/spring-boot-docs/src/main/asciidoc/deployment.adoc
@@ -541,6 +541,10 @@ the default behavior in a script or on the command line:
  that the `stop\|start\|status\|restart` commands work, or to `run` if you just want to
  run the script in the foreground.
 
+|`USE_START_STOP_DAEMON`
+|If the `start-stop-daemon` command, when it's available, should be used to control the
+ process. Defaults to `true`.
+
 |`PID_FOLDER`
 |The root name of the pid folder (`/var/run` by default).
 
@@ -606,8 +610,8 @@ for Gradle and to `${project.name}` for Maven.
 |The `chkconfig` section of "`INIT INFO`". Defaults to `2345 99 01`.
 
 |`useStartStopDaemon`
-|If the start-stop command should be used to control the process when it's available.
- Defaults to `true`.
+|If the `start-stop-daemon` command, when it's available, should be used to control the
+ process. Defaults to `true`.
 |===
 
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-integration-tests/spring-boot-launch-script-tests/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/launchscript/SysVinitLaunchScriptIT.java b/spring-boot-integration-tests/spring-boot-launch-script-tests/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/launchscript/SysVinitLaunchScriptIT.java
index 69e5038190..22ab687d1e 100644
--- a/spring-boot-integration-tests/spring-boot-launch-script-tests/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/launchscript/SysVinitLaunchScriptIT.java
+++ b/spring-boot-integration-tests/spring-boot-launch-script-tests/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/launchscript/SysVinitLaunchScriptIT.java
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@ import org.junit.runners.Parameterized.Parameters;
 import org.springframework.boot.ansi.AnsiColor;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.not;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
+import static org.junit.Assume.assumeThat;
 
 /**
  * Integration tests for Spring Boot's launch script on OSs that use SysVinit.
@@ -188,6 +191,13 @@ public class SysVinitLaunchScriptIT {
 		doLaunch("launch-with-multiple-java-opts.sh");
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void launchWithUseOfStartStopDaemonDisabled() throws Exception {
+		// CentOS doesn't have start-stop-daemon
+		assumeThat(this.os, is(not("CentOS")));
+		doLaunch("launch-with-use-of-start-stop-daemon-disabled.sh");
+	}
+
 	private void doLaunch(String script) throws Exception {
 		assertThat(doTest(script), containsString("Launched"));
 	}
diff --git a/spring-boot-integration-tests/spring-boot-launch-script-tests/src/test/resources/scripts/launch-with-use-of-start-stop-daemon-disabled.sh b/spring-boot-integration-tests/spring-boot-launch-script-tests/src/test/resources/scripts/launch-with-use-of-start-stop-daemon-disabled.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..75b98f69e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-boot-integration-tests/spring-boot-launch-script-tests/src/test/resources/scripts/launch-with-use-of-start-stop-daemon-disabled.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+source ./test-functions.sh
+chmod -x $(type -p start-stop-daemon)
+echo 'USE_START_STOP_DAEMON=false' > /spring-boot-app.conf
+install_service
+start_service
+await_app
+curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8080/
diff --git a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/main/resources/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/launch.script b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/main/resources/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/launch.script
index b7877fb0ef..11f55304b4 100755
--- a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/main/resources/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/launch.script
+++ b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/main/resources/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/launch.script
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ configfile="$(basename "${jarfile%.*}.conf")"
 ! [[ -x "$PID_FOLDER" ]] && PID_FOLDER="/tmp"
 ! [[ -x "$LOG_FOLDER" ]] && LOG_FOLDER="/tmp"
 
-# Setup defaults
+# Set up defaults
 [[ -z "$MODE" ]] && MODE="{{mode:auto}}" # modes are "auto", "service" or "run"
+[[ -z "$USE_START_STOP_DAEMON" ]] && USE_START_STOP_DAEMON="{{useStartStopDaemon:true}}"
 
 # Create an identity for log/pid files
 if [[ -z "$identity" ]]; then
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ do_start() {
     chown "$run_user" "$PID_FOLDER"
     chown "$run_user" "$pid_file"
     chown "$run_user" "$log_file"
-    if [ "${useStartStopDaemon:-true}" = true ] && type start-stop-daemon > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    if [ $USE_START_STOP_DAEMON = true ] && type start-stop-daemon > /dev/null 2>&1; then
       arguments=(-Dsun.misc.URLClassPath.disableJarChecking=true $JAVA_OPTS -jar $jarfile $RUN_ARGS "$@")
       start-stop-daemon --start --quiet \
         --chuid "$run_user" \
diff --git a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/DefaultLaunchScriptTests.java b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/DefaultLaunchScriptTests.java
index 2e6c480555..fec531b74e 100644
--- a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/DefaultLaunchScriptTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/DefaultLaunchScriptTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
 package org.springframework.boot.loader.tools;
 
 import java.io.File;
-import java.util.Properties;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
  * Tests for {@link DefaultLaunchScript}.
  *
  * @author Phillip Webb
+ * @author Andy Wilkinson
  */
 public class DefaultLaunchScriptTests {
 
@@ -44,6 +46,49 @@ public class DefaultLaunchScriptTests {
 		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(null, null);
 		String content = new String(script.toByteArray());
 		assertThat(content, containsString("Spring Boot Startup Script"));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void initInfoProvidesCanBeReplaced() throws Exception {
+		assertThatPlaceholderCanBeReplaced("initInfoProvides");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void initInfoShortDescriptionCanBeReplaced() throws Exception {
+		assertThatPlaceholderCanBeReplaced("initInfoShortDescription");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void initInfoDescriptionCanBeReplaced() throws Exception {
+		assertThatPlaceholderCanBeReplaced("initInfoDescription");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void initInfoChkconfigCanBeReplaced() throws Exception {
+		assertThatPlaceholderCanBeReplaced("initInfoChkconfig");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void modeCanBeReplaced() throws Exception {
+		assertThatPlaceholderCanBeReplaced("mode");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void useStartStopDaemonCanBeReplaced() throws Exception {
+		assertThatPlaceholderCanBeReplaced("useStartStopDaemon");
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void defaultForUseStartStopDaemonIsTrue() throws Exception {
+		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(null, null);
+		String content = new String(script.toByteArray());
+		assertThat(content, containsString("USE_START_STOP_DAEMON=\"true\""));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void defaultForModeIsAuto() throws Exception {
+		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(null, null);
+		String content = new String(script.toByteArray());
 		assertThat(content, containsString("MODE=\"auto\""));
 	}
 
@@ -60,10 +105,8 @@ public class DefaultLaunchScriptTests {
 	public void expandVariables() throws Exception {
 		File file = this.temporaryFolder.newFile();
 		FileCopyUtils.copy("h{{a}}ll{{b}}".getBytes(), file);
-		Properties properties = new Properties();
-		properties.put("a", "e");
-		properties.put("b", "o");
-		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(file, properties);
+		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(file,
+				createProperties("a:e", "b:o"));
 		String content = new String(script.toByteArray());
 		assertThat(content, equalTo("hello"));
 	}
@@ -72,10 +115,8 @@ public class DefaultLaunchScriptTests {
 	public void expandVariablesMultiLine() throws Exception {
 		File file = this.temporaryFolder.newFile();
 		FileCopyUtils.copy("h{{a}}l\nl{{b}}".getBytes(), file);
-		Properties properties = new Properties();
-		properties.put("a", "e");
-		properties.put("b", "o");
-		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(file, properties);
+		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(file,
+				createProperties("a:e", "b:o"));
 		String content = new String(script.toByteArray());
 		assertThat(content, equalTo("hel\nlo"));
 	}
@@ -93,9 +134,8 @@ public class DefaultLaunchScriptTests {
 	public void expandVariablesWithDefaultsOverride() throws Exception {
 		File file = this.temporaryFolder.newFile();
 		FileCopyUtils.copy("h{{a:e}}ll{{b:o}}".getBytes(), file);
-		Properties properties = new Properties();
-		properties.put("a", "a");
-		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(file, properties);
+		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(file,
+				createProperties("a:a"));
 		String content = new String(script.toByteArray());
 		assertThat(content, equalTo("hallo"));
 	}
@@ -109,4 +149,20 @@ public class DefaultLaunchScriptTests {
 		assertThat(content, equalTo("h{{a}}ll{{b}}"));
 	}
 
+	private void assertThatPlaceholderCanBeReplaced(String placeholder) throws Exception {
+		DefaultLaunchScript script = new DefaultLaunchScript(null,
+				createProperties(placeholder + ":__test__"));
+		String content = new String(script.toByteArray());
+		assertThat(content, containsString("__test__"));
+	}
+
+	private Map<?, ?> createProperties(String... pairs) {
+		Map<Object, Object> properties = new HashMap<Object, Object>();
+		for (String pair : pairs) {
+			String[] keyValue = pair.split(":");
+			properties.put(keyValue[0], keyValue[1]);
+		}
+		return properties;
+	}
+
 }