diff --git a/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch b/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch
index 53c4aa33f4d..aff3f21c169 100644
--- a/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch
+++ b/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 #
 ### BEGIN INIT INFO
 # Provides:          elasticsearch
-# Required-Start:    $all
-# Required-Stop:     $all
+# Required-Start:    $network $named
+# Required-Stop:     $network $named
 # Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
 # Default-Stop:      0 1 6
 # Short-Description: Starts elasticsearch
diff --git a/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch b/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch
index d798450d7f2..fbeda2280e6 100644
--- a/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch
+++ b/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 
 ### BEGIN INIT INFO
 # Provides: Elasticsearch
-# Required-Start: $network
-# Required-Stop: $network
+# Required-Start: $network $named
+# Required-Stop: $network $named
 # Default-Start: 2 3 4 5
 # Default-Stop: 0 1 6
 # Short-Description: This service manages the elasticsearch daemon
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ export ES_JAVA_OPTS
 
 lockfile=/var/lock/subsys/$prog
 
+# backwards compatibility for old config sysconfig files, pre 0.90.1
+if [ -n $USER ] && [ -z $ES_USER ] ; then 
+   ES_USER=$USER
+fi
+
 start() {
     [ -x $exec ] || exit 5
     [ -f $CONF_FILE ] || exit 6
@@ -63,7 +68,7 @@ start() {
     fi
     echo -n $"Starting $prog: "
     # if not running, start it up here, usually something like "daemon $exec"
-    daemon --user $USER --pidfile $pidfile $exec -p $pidfile -Des.default.path.home=$ES_HOME -Des.default.path.logs=$LOG_DIR -Des.default.path.data=$DATA_DIR -Des.default.path.work=$WORK_DIR -Des.default.path.conf=$CONF_DIR
+    daemon --user $ES_USER --pidfile $pidfile $exec -p $pidfile -Des.default.path.home=$ES_HOME -Des.default.path.logs=$LOG_DIR -Des.default.path.data=$DATA_DIR -Des.default.path.work=$WORK_DIR -Des.default.path.conf=$CONF_DIR
     retval=$?
     echo
     [ $retval -eq 0 ] && touch $lockfile
diff --git a/src/rpm/scripts/postremove b/src/rpm/scripts/postremove
index 251b779887d..731be15fe53 100644
--- a/src/rpm/scripts/postremove
+++ b/src/rpm/scripts/postremove
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 echo "Removing elasticsearch user and group if existing"
 
 getent passwd elasticsearch > /dev/null
-if [ "$?" == "1" ] ; then
+if [ "$?" == "0" ] ; then
     userdel elasticsearch
 fi
 
 getent group elasticsearch >/dev/null
-if [ "$?" == "1" ] ; then
+if [ "$?" == "0" ] ; then
     groupdel elasticsearch
 fi
 
diff --git a/src/rpm/scripts/preinstall b/src/rpm/scripts/preinstall
index 70670ed8036..327c8d63e39 100644
--- a/src/rpm/scripts/preinstall
+++ b/src/rpm/scripts/preinstall
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 getent group elasticsearch >/dev/null || groupadd -r elasticsearch
 getent passwd elasticsearch >/dev/null || \
-    useradd -r -g elasticsearch -d /usr/lib/elasticsearch -s /sbin/nologin \
+    useradd -r -g elasticsearch -d /usr/share/elasticsearch -s /sbin/nologin \
     -c "elasticsearch user" elasticsearch
diff --git a/src/rpm/sysconfig/elasticsearch b/src/rpm/sysconfig/elasticsearch
index 64867f1a245..7d0184b678b 100644
--- a/src/rpm/sysconfig/elasticsearch
+++ b/src/rpm/sysconfig/elasticsearch
@@ -37,4 +37,4 @@ CONF_FILE=/etc/elasticsearch/elasticsearch.yml
 # User to run as, change this to a specific elasticsearch user if possible
 # Also make sure, this user can write into the log directories in case you change them
 # This setting only works for the init script, but has to be configured separately for systemd startup
-USER=elasticsearch
+ES_USER=elasticsearch