diff --git a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-acm.service b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-acm.service
index 0d24e9cbe4c30..6a8e826d910cd 100644
--- a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-acm.service
+++ b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-acm.service
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Type=simple
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 RuntimeDirectory=teleport
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/teleport
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport start --config=/etc/teleport.yaml --diag-addr=127.0.0.1:3000 --pid-file=/run/teleport/teleport.pid
 # systemd before 239 needs an absolute path
 ExecReload=/bin/sh -c "exec pkill -HUP -L -F /run/teleport/teleport.pid"
diff --git a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-auth.service b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-auth.service
index 9cd5c39e05f89..9c902b4098bd8 100644
--- a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-auth.service
+++ b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-auth.service
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Type=simple
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 RuntimeDirectory=teleport
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/teleport
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport start --config=/etc/teleport.yaml --diag-addr=127.0.0.1:3000 --pid-file=/run/teleport/teleport.pid
 # systemd before 239 needs an absolute path
 ExecReload=/bin/sh -c "exec pkill -HUP -L -F /run/teleport/teleport.pid"
diff --git a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy-acm.service b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy-acm.service
index 260b914841746..757c9219e4b0d 100644
--- a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy-acm.service
+++ b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy-acm.service
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ Type=simple
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 RuntimeDirectory=teleport
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/teleport
+# TODO(gus): REMOVE IN 17.0.0 - /etc/default/teleport should be used instead
 EnvironmentFile=/etc/teleport.d/conf
 ExecStartPre=/usr/local/bin/teleport-ssm-get-token
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport start --config=/etc/teleport.yaml --diag-addr=127.0.0.1:3000 --pid-file=/run/teleport/teleport.pid
diff --git a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy.service b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy.service
index 5f88872d07bbe..8fe4ba5985ce6 100644
--- a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy.service
+++ b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy.service
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ Type=simple
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 RuntimeDirectory=teleport
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/teleport
+# TODO(gus): REMOVE IN 17.0.0 - /etc/default/teleport should be used instead
 EnvironmentFile=/etc/teleport.d/conf
 ExecStartPre=/usr/local/bin/teleport-ssm-get-token
 ExecStartPre=/bin/aws s3 sync s3://${TELEPORT_S3_BUCKET}/live/${TELEPORT_DOMAIN_NAME} /var/lib/teleport
diff --git a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport.service b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport.service
index 73e7fce096891..4145124088c95 100644
--- a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport.service
+++ b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport.service
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Type=simple
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 RuntimeDirectory=teleport
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/teleport
 ExecStartPre=/usr/local/bin/teleport-all-pre-start
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport start --config=/etc/teleport.yaml --diag-addr=127.0.0.1:3000 --pid-file=/run/teleport/teleport.pid
 # systemd before 239 needs an absolute path