diff --git a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-acm.service b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-acm.service
index eb847e69510a9..1a581b2629888 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
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID
 PIDFile=/run/teleport/teleport.pid
diff --git a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-auth.service b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-auth.service
index 35c65d496741c..359b2fdfb6849 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
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID
 PIDFile=/run/teleport/teleport.pid
diff --git a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy-acm.service b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy-acm.service
index 8eb909dbba9ef..ee27b95279d41 100644
--- a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy-acm.service
+++ b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy-acm.service
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ Type=simple
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 RuntimeDirectory=teleport
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/teleport
+# TODO(gus): REMOVE IN 17.0.0 - /etc/default/teleport should be used instead
 EnvironmentFile=/etc/teleport.d/conf
 ExecStartPre=/usr/local/bin/teleport-ssm-get-token
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teleport start --config=/etc/teleport.yaml --diag-addr=127.0.0.1:3000 --pid-file=/run/teleport/teleport.pid
diff --git a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy.service b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy.service
index d9b124c75c1e7..0d28a7b58df8a 100644
--- a/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy.service
+++ b/assets/aws/files/system/teleport-proxy.service
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ Type=simple
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=5
 RuntimeDirectory=teleport
+EnvironmentFile=-/etc/default/teleport
+# TODO(gus): REMOVE IN 17.0.0 - /etc/default/teleport should be used instead
 EnvironmentFile=/etc/teleport.d/conf
 ExecStartPre=/usr/local/bin/teleport-ssm-get-token
 ExecStartPre=/bin/aws s3 sync s3://${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 5885ce464ab55..a96232905333f 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
 ExecReload=/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID