diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index 08350ed0c..96b5c29b9 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #
 class memcached (
   $package_ensure  = 'present',
+  $service_manage  = true,
   $logfile         = $::memcached::params::logfile,
   $pidfile         = '/var/run/memcached.pid',
   $manage_firewall = false,
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@
   }
   validate_bool($manage_firewall_bool)
   validate_bool($service_restart)
+  validate_bool($service_manage)
 
   if $package_ensure == 'absent' {
     $service_ensure = 'stopped'
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@
     }
   }
 
-  if $service_restart {
+  if $service_restart and $service_manage {
     $service_notify_real = Service[$memcached::params::service_name]
   } else {
     $service_notify_real = undef
@@ -87,11 +89,13 @@
     }
   }
 
-  service { $memcached::params::service_name:
-    ensure     => $service_ensure,
-    enable     => $service_enable,
-    hasrestart => true,
-    hasstatus  => $memcached::params::service_hasstatus,
+  if $service_manage {
+    service { $memcached::params::service_name:
+      ensure     => $service_ensure,
+      enable     => $service_enable,
+      hasrestart => true,
+      hasstatus  => $memcached::params::service_hasstatus,
+    }
   }
 
   if $use_registry {
@@ -99,7 +103,7 @@
       ensure => 'present',
       type   => 'string',
       data   => template($memcached::params::config_tmpl),
-      notify => Service[$memcached::params::service_name]
+      notify => $service_notify_real,
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/spec/classes/memcached_spec.rb b/spec/classes/memcached_spec.rb
index 3357569f7..c2a836da4 100644
--- a/spec/classes/memcached_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/memcached_spec.rb
@@ -105,6 +105,9 @@
     {
       :package_ensure  => 'absent',
       :install_dev     => true
+    },
+    {
+      :service_manage => false
     }
   ].each do |param_set|
     describe "when #{param_set == {} ? "using default" : "specifying"} class parameters" do
@@ -148,7 +151,9 @@
           )}
 
           it { 
-            if param_hash[:package_ensure] == 'absent'
+            if param_hash[:service_manage] == false
+              should_not contain_service('memcached')
+            elsif param_hash[:package_ensure] == 'absent'
               should contain_service("memcached").with(
                 'ensure'     => 'stopped',
                 'enable'     => false