diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index 97bf0dd..5a245d0 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #   String.
 #
 #   Standard Puppet ensure semantics (and supports `purged` state if your
-#   package provider does).
+#   package provider does). Valid values are: '^present$|^latest$|^absent$|^purged$'
 #
 #   defaults to: `present`
 #
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@
 #
 #   defaults to: 'smartd'
 #
+# [*service_ensure*]
+#   String.
+#
+#   State of the smartmontools monitoring daemon.  Valid values are:
+#   '^running$|^stopped$'
+#
+#   defaults to: 'running'
+#
 # [*config_file*]
 #   String.
 #
@@ -104,6 +112,7 @@
   $ensure             = 'present',
   $package_name       = $smartd::params::package_name,
   $config_file        = $smartd::params::config_file,
+  $service_ensure     = $smartd::params::service_ensure,
   $devicescan         = $smartd::params::devicescan,
   $devicescan_options = $smartd::params::devicescan_options,
   $devices            = $smartd::params::devices,
@@ -113,6 +122,7 @@
   $enable_monit       = $smartd::params::enable_monit,
 ) inherits smartd::params {
   validate_re($ensure, '^present$|^latest$|^absent$|^purged$')
+  validate_re($service_ensure, '^running$|^stopped$')
 
   # Validate our booleans
   validate_bool($devicescan)
@@ -129,8 +139,8 @@
   case $ensure {
     'present','latest': {
       $pkg_ensure  = $ensure
-      $svc_ensure  = 'running'
-      $svc_enable  = true
+      $svc_ensure  = $service_ensure
+      $svc_enable  = $service_ensure ? { 'running' => true, 'stopped' => false }
       $file_ensure = 'present'
     }
     'absent','purged': {
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index e4dc341..a23e3b0 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 class smartd::params {
   $package_name       = 'smartmontools'
   $service_name       = 'smartd'
+  $service_ensure     = 'running'
   $devicescan         = true
   $devicescan_options = false
   $devices            = []
diff --git a/spec/classes/smartd_spec.rb b/spec/classes/smartd_spec.rb
index 2219b7c..9dcb1c9 100644
--- a/spec/classes/smartd_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/smartd_spec.rb
@@ -151,6 +151,30 @@
       end
     end
 
+    describe 'service_ensure => running' do
+      let(:params) {{ :service_ensure => 'running' }}
+
+      it { should contain_package('smartmontools').with_ensure('present') }
+      it { should contain_service('smartd').with_ensure('running').with_enable(true) }
+    end
+
+    describe 'service_ensure => stopped' do
+      let(:params) {{ :service_ensure => 'stopped' }}
+
+      it { should contain_package('smartmontools').with_ensure('present') }
+      it { should contain_service('smartd').with_ensure('stopped').with_enable(false) }
+    end
+
+    describe 'service_ensure => badvalue' do
+      let(:params) {{ :service_ensure => 'badvalue' }}
+
+      it 'should fail' do
+        expect {
+          should raise_error(Puppet::Error, /unsupported value of/)
+        }
+      end
+    end
+
     describe 'devicescan => false' do
       let(:params) {{ :devicescan => false }}