diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4a5623d..3450ba0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,13 +60,7 @@ You may choose to use your own or the systems default repositories. Repository m
     - [Variable: i2_i2_yum_url](#variable-i2_yum_url)
     - [Variable: i2_confd](#variable-i2_confd)
     - [Variable: i2_include_plugins](#variable-i2_include_plugins)
-    - [Variable: i2_const_plugindir](#variable-i2_const_plugindir)
-    - [Variable: i2_const_manubulonplugindir](#variable-i2_const_manubulonplugindir)
-    - [Variable: i2_const_plugincontribdir](#variable-i2_const_plugincontribdir)
-    - [Variable: i2_const_nodename](#variable-i2_const_nodename)
-    - [Variable: i2_const_zonename](#variable-i2_const_zonename)
-    - [Variable: i2_const_ticketsalt](#variable-i2_const_ticketsalt)
-    - [Variable: i2_constants](#variable-i2_constants)
+    - [Variable: i2_custom_constants](#variable-i2_custom_constants)
 - [**Variables system specific](#variables-os-specific)
     - [Variable: i2_conf_dir](#variable-i2_conf_dir)
     - [Variable: i2_user](#variable-i2_user)
@@ -131,17 +125,29 @@ Set `ZoneName` constant. Defaults to `{{ ansible_fqdn }}`.
 #### Variable: `i2_const_ticketsalt`
 Set `TicketSalt` constant. Empty by default.
 
-#### Variable: `i2_constants`
-Add custom constants to `constants.conf`. Must be a dictionary.
+#### Variable: `i2_custom_constants`
+Add custom constants to `constants.conf`. Must be a dictionary. Defaults to: `{}`
 
-Example:
+Some default required values are specified in `i2_default_constants` and merged with this variable. Use this variable to override these default values, or add your own constants.
+
+Default values of `i2_default_constants`:
+```yaml
+  PluginDir: "{{ i2_lib_dir }}/nagios/plugins"
+  ManubulonPluginDir: "{{ i2_lib_dir }}/nagios/plugins"
+  PluginContribDir: "{{ i2_lib_dir }}/nagios/plugins"
+  NodeName: "{{ ansible_fqdn }}"
+  ZoneName: "{{ ansible_fqdn }}"
+  TicketSalt: ""
+```
+
+Example usage:
 ```yaml
   vars:
     - i2_constants:
-        foo: "bar"
+        TicketSalt: "My ticket salt"
+        Foo: "bar"
 ```
 
-
 ### Variables system specific
 The following variables are system specific and don't need to be overwritten in most cases. Be careful when making
 changes to any of these variables.
diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index c0a280f..03b5542 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -15,10 +15,4 @@ i2_include_plugins:
   - "manubulon"
   - "windows-plugins"
   - "nscp"
-i2_const_plugindir: "{{ i2_lib_dir }}/nagios/plugins"
-i2_const_manubulonplugindir: "{{ i2_lib_dir }}/nagios/plugins"
-i2_const_plugincontribdir: "{{ i2_lib_dir }}/nagios/plugins"
-i2_const_nodename: "{{ ansible_fqdn }}"
-i2_const_zonename: "{{ ansible_fqdn }}"
-i2_const_ticketsalt: ""
-i2_constants: {}
+i2_custom_constants: {}
diff --git a/tasks/icinga2-config.yml b/tasks/icinga2-config.yml
index 115a827..9bc7273 100644
--- a/tasks/icinga2-config.yml
+++ b/tasks/icinga2-config.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,22 @@
     mode: 0644
   notify: reload icinga2
 
+- name: Check for constants sample file
+  stat:
+    path: "{{ i2_conf_dir }}/constants.conf-sample"
+  register: sample_file
+
+- name: Copy original Icinga 2 config to sample
+  become: yes
+  copy:
+    remote_src: true
+    src: "{{ i2_conf_dir }}/constants.conf"
+    dest: "{{ i2_conf_dir }}/constants.conf-sample"
+    owner: "{{ i2_user }}"
+    group: "{{ i2_group }}"
+    mode: 0644
+  when: not sample_file.stat.exists
+
 - name: Manage Icinga 2 constants
   become: yes
   template:
diff --git a/templates/constants.conf.j2 b/templates/constants.conf.j2
index 3bfa5e8..8ca0e87 100644
--- a/templates/constants.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/constants.conf.j2
@@ -5,32 +5,6 @@
  * the other configuration files.
  */
 
-/* The directory which contains the plugins from the Monitoring Plugins project. */
-const PluginDir = "{{ i2_const_plugindir }}"
-
-/* The directory which contains the Manubulon plugins.
- * Check the documentation, chapter "SNMP Manubulon Plugin Check Commands", for details.
- */
-const ManubulonPluginDir = "{{ i2_const_manubulonplugindir }}"
-
-/* The directory which you use to store additional plugins which ITL provides user contributed command definitions for.
- * Check the documentation, chapter "Plugins Contribution", for details.
- */
-const PluginContribDir = "{{ i2_const_plugincontribdir }}"
-
-/* Our local instance name. By default this is the server's hostname as returned by `hostname --fqdn`.
- * This should be the common name from the API certificate.
- */
-const NodeName = "{{ i2_const_nodename }}"
-
-/* Our local zone name. */
-const ZoneName = "{{ i2_const_zonename }}"
-
-/* Secret key for remote node tickets */
-const TicketSalt = "{{ i2_const_ticketsalt }}"
-
-/* Additional Constants */
-
 {% for name, value in i2_constants.items() %}
-const {{ name }} = "{{ value }}""
+const {{ name }} = "{{ value }}"
 {% endfor %}
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 915679d..112b021 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -1,2 +1,10 @@
 ---
 i2_conf_dir: "/etc/icinga2"
+i2_default_constants:
+  PluginDir: "{{ i2_lib_dir }}/nagios/plugins"
+  ManubulonPluginDir: "{{ i2_lib_dir }}/nagios/plugins"
+  PluginContribDir: "{{ i2_lib_dir }}/nagios/plugins"
+  NodeName: "{{ ansible_fqdn }}"
+  ZoneName: "{{ ansible_fqdn }}"
+  TicketSalt: ""
+i2_constants: "{{ i2_default_constants | combine(i2_custom_constants) }}"