diff --git a/aif.xsd b/aif.xsd
index b2e8b87..5320c07 100644
--- a/aif.xsd
+++ b/aif.xsd
@@ -1043,7 +1043,8 @@
                                             <xs:complexType>
                                                 <xs:simpleContent>
                                                     <xs:extension base="aif:t_nonempty">
-                                                        <xs:attribute name="status" type="xs:boolean" use="required"/>
+                                                        <xs:attribute name="status" type="xs:boolean" use="optional"
+                                                                      default="true"/>
                                                     </xs:extension>
                                                 </xs:simpleContent>
                                             </xs:complexType>
diff --git a/aif/system/__init__.py b/aif/system/__init__.py
index 2056488..e91eeb7 100644
--- a/aif/system/__init__.py
+++ b/aif/system/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 from . import locales
 from . import console
 from . import users
+from . import services
diff --git a/aif/system/services.py b/aif/system/services.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6cd3f64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aif/system/services.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import os
+import pathlib
+import re
+##
+import aif.utils
+
+
+_svc_suffixes = ('service', 'socket', 'device', 'mount', 'automount', 'swap', 'target',
+                 'path', 'timer', 'slice', 'scope')
+_svc_re = re.compile(r'\.({0})$'.format('|'.join(_svc_suffixes)))
+
+
+class Service(object):
+    def __init__(self, service_xml):
+        self.xml = service_xml
+        self.slice = None
+        self.unit_file = None
+        self.dest_file = None
+        self.name = service_xml.text.strip()
+        self.enabled = aif.utils.xmlBool(self.xml.attrib.get('status', 'true'))
+        p = pathlib.Path(self.name)
+        suffix = p.suffix.lstrip('.')
+        if suffix in _svc_suffixes:
+            self.type = suffix
+            self.name = _svc_re.sub('', self.name)
+        else:
+            self.type = 'service'
+        s = self.name.split('@', 1)
+        if len(s) > 1:
+            self.name = s[0]
+            self.slice = s[1]
+            self.unit_file = '{0}@.{1}'.format(self.name, self.type)
+            self.dest_file = '{0}@{1}.{2}'.format(self.name, self.slice, self.type)
+        else:
+            self.unit_file = '{0}.{1}'.format(self.name, self.type)
+            self.dest_file = self.unit_file
+
+
+class ServiceDB(object):
+    def __init__(self, services_xml, chroot_base):
+        self.xml = services_xml
+        self.chroot_base = chroot_base
+        self.systemd_sys = os.path.join(self.chroot_base, 'usr', 'lib', 'systemd', 'system')
+        self.systemd_host = os.path.join(self.chroot_base, 'etc', 'systemd', 'system')
+        self.services = []
+        for service_xml in self.xml.findall('service'):
+            svc = Service(service_xml)
+            self.services.append(svc)
+
+    def apply(self):
+        for svc in self.services:
+            dest_path = os.path.join(self.systemd_host, svc.dest_file)
+            src_path = os.path.join(self.systemd_sys, svc.unit_file)
+            if svc.enabled:
+                if not os.path.isfile(dest_path):
+                    os.symlink(src_path, dest_path)
+            else:
+                if os.path.exists(dest_path):
+                    os.remove(dest_path)
+        return()
diff --git a/examples/aif.xml b/examples/aif.xml
index 68c1916..86d74c6 100644
--- a/examples/aif.xml
+++ b/examples/aif.xml
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
             </user>
         </users>
         <services>
-            <service status="1">sshd</service>
+            <service status="true">sshd</service>
         </services>
     </system>
     <pacman>