diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8d1568570d..5759a3a7e0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ Attribute | Description | Type | Default
 ----------|-------------|------|--------
 distribution | Distribution for docker packages | String | auto-detected (see attributes/default.rb)
 repo_url | Repository URL for docker packages | String | auto-detected (see attributes/default.rb)
+use_docker_io_ppa | Use the docker.io package repository (can be set to false on Ubuntu 14.04+) | TrueClass, FalseClass | true
 
 #### Source Installation Attributes
 
diff --git a/attributes/default.rb b/attributes/default.rb
index 8e8c251cf0..f9aacfbd25 100644
--- a/attributes/default.rb
+++ b/attributes/default.rb
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@
   default['docker']['package']['distribution'] = 'docker'
   default['docker']['package']['repo_url'] = 'https://get.docker.io/ubuntu'
   default['docker']['package']['repo_key'] = 'https://get.docker.io/gpg'
+  # this currently only has meaning on ubuntu >= 14.04
+  # if you want to use the ubuntu provided package / repository
+  # override this attribute to false
+  default['docker']['package']['use_docker_io_ppa'] = true
 end
 
 ## Source installation attributes
diff --git a/files/default/tests/minitest/upstart_test.rb b/files/default/tests/minitest/upstart_test.rb
index a255d262f8..a4c54c862b 100644
--- a/files/default/tests/minitest/upstart_test.rb
+++ b/files/default/tests/minitest/upstart_test.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
   include Helpers::Docker
 
   it 'starts docker' do
-    service('docker').must_be_running
+    if Helpers::Docker.use_docker_ppa? node
+      service('docker').must_be_running
+    else
+      service('docker.io').must_be_running
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/libraries/helpers.rb b/libraries/helpers.rb
index c73ee611d8..82854d0ccd 100644
--- a/libraries/helpers.rb
+++ b/libraries/helpers.rb
@@ -25,6 +25,16 @@ def initialize(timeout)
     # Exception to signify that the docker command timed out.
     class CommandTimeout < RuntimeError; end
 
+    # Boolean to determine whether or not we are using the docker ppa
+    def self.use_docker_ppa?(node)
+      ! (
+        node['platform'] == 'ubuntu' &&
+        node['docker']['install_type'] == 'package' &&
+        node['docker']['package']['use_docker_io_ppa'] == false &&
+        Chef::VersionConstraint.new('>= 14.04').include?(node['platform_version'])
+      )
+    end
+
     def self.daemon_cli_args(node)
       daemon_options = Helpers::Docker.cli_args(
         'api-enable-cors' => node['docker']['api_enable_cors'],
diff --git a/recipes/package.rb b/recipes/package.rb
index 89be058407..c760fccd4e 100644
--- a/recipes/package.rb
+++ b/recipes/package.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+
 case node['platform']
 when 'amazon'
   package 'docker' do
@@ -12,21 +13,30 @@
     action node['docker']['package']['action'].intern
   end
 when 'debian', 'ubuntu'
-  apt_repository 'docker' do
-    uri node['docker']['package']['repo_url']
-    distribution node['docker']['package']['distribution']
-    components ['main']
-    key node['docker']['package']['repo_key']
+  if Helpers::Docker.use_docker_ppa? node
+    p = 'lxc-docker'
+    apt_repository 'docker' do
+      uri node['docker']['package']['repo_url']
+      distribution node['docker']['package']['distribution']
+      components ['main']
+      key node['docker']['package']['repo_key']
+    end
+  else
+    p = 'docker.io'
+    link '/usr/local/bin/docker' do
+      action :nothing
+      to '/usr/bin/docker.io'
+    end
   end
 
   # reprepro doesn't support version tagging
   # See: https://github.com/dotcloud/docker/issues/979
-  p = 'lxc-docker'
   p += "-#{node['docker']['version']}" if node['docker']['version']
 
   package p do
     options '--force-yes -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confdef" -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold"'
     action node['docker']['package']['action'].intern
+    notifies :create, 'link[/usr/local/bin/docker]', :immediately unless Helpers::Docker.use_docker_ppa? node
   end
 when 'fedora'
   package 'docker-io' do
diff --git a/recipes/upstart.rb b/recipes/upstart.rb
index 0ddb1a01d6..6f7e09f8f6 100644
--- a/recipes/upstart.rb
+++ b/recipes/upstart.rb
@@ -1,17 +1,41 @@
-settings_file =
+def docker_settings_file
   case node['platform']
-  when 'debian', 'ubuntu' then '/etc/default/docker'
-  else '/etc/sysconfig/docker'
+  when 'debian'
+    '/etc/default/docker'
+  when 'ubuntu'
+    if Helpers::Docker.use_docker_ppa? node
+      '/etc/default/docker'
+    else
+      '/etc/default/docker.io'
+    end
+  else
+    '/etc/sysconfig/docker'
   end
+end
+
+def docker_upstart_conf_file
+  case node['platform']
+  when 'ubuntu'
+    if Helpers::Docker.use_docker_ppa? node
+      '/etc/init/docker.conf'
+    else
+      '/etc/init/docker.io.conf'
+    end
+  else
+    '/etc/init/docker.conf'
+  end
+end
+
+docker_service_name = ::File.basename(docker_upstart_conf_file, '.conf')
 
-template '/etc/init/docker.conf' do
+template docker_upstart_conf_file do
   source 'docker.conf.erb'
   mode '0600'
   owner 'root'
   group 'root'
 end
 
-template settings_file do
+template docker_settings_file do
   source 'docker.sysconfig.erb'
   mode '0644'
   owner 'root'
@@ -21,11 +45,11 @@
   )
   # DEPRECATED: stop and start only necessary for 0.x cookbook upgrades
   # Default docker Upstart job now sources default file for DOCKER_OPTS
-  notifies :stop, 'service[docker]', :immediately
-  notifies :start, 'service[docker]', :immediately
+  notifies :stop, "service[#{docker_service_name}]", :immediately
+  notifies :start, "service[#{docker_service_name}]", :immediately
 end
 
-service 'docker' do
+service docker_service_name do
   provider Chef::Provider::Service::Upstart
   supports :status => true, :restart => true, :reload => true
   action [:start]
diff --git a/spec/upstart_spec.rb b/spec/upstart_spec.rb
index 0a8bb41add..6a2b93add5 100644
--- a/spec/upstart_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/upstart_spec.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   it 'creates the docker Upstart template' do
     expect(chef_run).to create_template('/etc/init/docker.conf')
     expect(chef_run).to render_file('/etc/init/docker.conf').with_content(
-      /"\$DOCKER" -d \$DOCKER_OPTS/)
+      /"\$UPSTART_JOB" -d \$DOCKER_OPTS/)
   end
 
   it 'creates the docker sysconfig template' do
diff --git a/templates/default/docker.conf.erb b/templates/default/docker.conf.erb
index 9a3706c175..5690b42a65 100644
--- a/templates/default/docker.conf.erb
+++ b/templates/default/docker.conf.erb
@@ -36,5 +36,5 @@ script
     if [ -f /etc/default/$UPSTART_JOB ]; then
         . /etc/default/$UPSTART_JOB
     fi
-    "$DOCKER" -d $DOCKER_OPTS
+    "$UPSTART_JOB" -d $DOCKER_OPTS
 end script