diff --git a/apache2/recipes/mod_rails.rb b/apache2/recipes/mod_rails.rb
index 58251affa..c3f65961a 100644
--- a/apache2/recipes/mod_rails.rb
+++ b/apache2/recipes/mod_rails.rb
@@ -24,12 +24,23 @@
 
 include_recipe "passenger"
 
-template "#{node[:apache][:dir]}/mods-available/passenger.load" do
-  cookbook "passenger"
-  source "passenger.load.erb"
-  owner "root"
-  group "root"
-  mode 0755
+if platform?("centos","redhat") and dist_only?
+  package "mod_passenger" do
+    notifies :run, resources(:execute => "generate-module-list"), :immediately
+  end
+
+  file "#{node[:apache][:dir]}/conf.d/mod_passenger.conf" do
+    action :delete
+    backup false 
+  end
+else  
+  template "#{node[:apache][:dir]}/mods-available/passenger.load" do
+    cookbook "passenger"
+    source "passenger.load.erb"
+    owner "root"
+    group "root"
+    mode 0755
+  end
 end
 
 template "#{node[:apache][:dir]}/mods-available/passenger.conf" do
@@ -40,4 +51,4 @@
   mode 0755
 end
 
-apache_module "passenger"
\ No newline at end of file
+apache_module "passenger"
diff --git a/chef/attributes/chef.rb b/chef/attributes/chef.rb
index ed146d224..aea330d14 100644
--- a/chef/attributes/chef.rb
+++ b/chef/attributes/chef.rb
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@
 chef Mash.new unless attribute?("chef")
 
 chef[:path] = "/srv/chef" unless chef.has_key?(:path)
+chef[:run_path] = "/var/run/chef" unless chef.has_key?(:run_path)
diff --git a/chef/attributes/indexer.rb b/chef/attributes/indexer.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9549e8ae0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chef/attributes/indexer.rb
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+chef[:indexer_log] = "/var/log/chef/indexer.log" unless chef.has_key?(:indexer_log)
diff --git a/chef/recipes/client.rb b/chef/recipes/client.rb
index 371538eb7..9d50d17a8 100644
--- a/chef/recipes/client.rb
+++ b/chef/recipes/client.rb
@@ -19,10 +19,17 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-include_recipe "runit"
+# no runit here!
+if ! platform?("centos","redhat")
+  include_recipe "runit"
+end
 
-gem_package "chef" do
-  version node[:chef][:client_version]
+if platform?("centos","redhat") and dist_only?
+  package "rubygem-chef"
+else
+  gem_package "chef" do
+    version node[:chef][:client_version]
+  end
 end
 
 group "chef" do
@@ -38,6 +45,17 @@
   shell "/bin/bash"
 end
 
+if platform?("centos","redhat") and dist_only?
+  template "/etc/init.d/chef-client" do
+    owner "chef"
+    mode 0755
+    source "chef-client.init.erb"
+    action :create
+    backup false 
+  end
+end
+
+
 directory "/etc/chef" do
   owner "chef"
   group "chef"
@@ -63,10 +81,10 @@
   mode "644"
 end
 
-directory "/var/chef" do
+directory node[:chef][:run_path] do
   owner "chef"
   group "chef"
-  mode 0775
+  mode "755"
 end
 
 execute "Register client node with Chef Server" do
@@ -81,4 +99,11 @@
             # File.exists?("#{node[:chef][:path]}/cache/registration") }
 end
 
-runit_service "chef-client"
+if platform?("centos","redhat") and dist_only?
+  service "chef-client" do
+    supports [ :restart, :reload, :status ]
+    action [ :enable, :start ]
+  end
+else
+  runit_service "chef-client"
+end
diff --git a/chef/recipes/server.rb b/chef/recipes/server.rb
index 6a950c451..1237fa451 100644
--- a/chef/recipes/server.rb
+++ b/chef/recipes/server.rb
@@ -19,7 +19,12 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-include_recipe "runit"
+include_recipe "packages"
+
+# no runit here!
+if ! platform?("centos","redhat")
+  include_recipe "runit"
+end
 
 case node[:platform]
 when "ubuntu"
@@ -30,8 +35,8 @@
   if node[:platform_version].to_f >= 5.0
     include_recipe "couchdb"
   end
-# when "centos","redhat","fedora"
-#   include_recipe "couchdb"
+when "centos","redhat","fedora"
+  include_recipe "couchdb"
 end
 
 include_recipe "stompserver" 
@@ -40,14 +45,34 @@
 include_recipe "apache2::mod_rails"
 include_recipe "chef::client"
 
-gem_package "chef-server" do
-  version node[:chef][:server_version]
-end
+if platform?("centos","redhat") and dist_only?
+  package "rubygem-chef-server"
+  package "rubygem-chef-server-slice"
+
+  template "/etc/init.d/chef-indexer" do
+    owner "chef"
+    mode 0755
+    source "chef-indexer.init.erb"
+    action :create
+    backup false 
+  end
 
-if node[:chef][:server_version] >= "0.5.7"
-  gem_package "chef-server-slice" do
+  template "/etc/chef/indexer.rb" do
+    owner "chef"
+    mode 0644
+    source "indexer.conf.erb"
+    action :create
+  end
+else
+  gem_package "chef-server" do
     version node[:chef][:server_version]
   end
+
+  if node[:chef][:server_version] >= "0.5.7"
+    gem_package "chef-server-slice" do
+      version node[:chef][:server_version]
+    end
+  end
 end
 
 template "/etc/chef/server.rb" do
@@ -88,7 +113,14 @@
   not_if { File.exists?("/etc/chef/certificates/#{node[:chef][:server_fqdn]}.pem") }
 end
 
-runit_service "chef-indexer" 
+if platform?("centos","redhat") and dist_only?
+  service "chef-indexer" do
+    supports [ :restart, :reload, :status ]
+    action [ :enable, :start ]
+  end
+else
+  runit_service "chef-indexer" 
+end
 
 template "#{node[:chef][:server_path]}/config.ru" do
   source "config.ru.erb"
diff --git a/chef/templates/default/chef-client.init.erb b/chef/templates/default/chef-client.init.erb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..084e31da2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chef/templates/default/chef-client.init.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Startup script for chef-client. This version is deployed by chef itself.
+#
+# chkconfig: - 98 02
+# description: Client component of the Chef systems integration framework.
+# processname: chef-client
+#
+# pidfile: <%= @node[:chef][:run_path] %>/chef-client.pid
+
+# Source function library
+. /etc/init.d/functions
+
+prog="chef-client"
+pidfile=<%= @node[:chef][:run_path] %>/chef-client.pid
+lockfile=/var/lock/subsys/$prog
+config=/etc/chef/client.rb
+
+start() {
+    echo -n "Starting $prog:"
+    daemon chef-client -d -c "$config" -i <%= @node[:chef][:client_interval] %> -s <%= @node[:chef][:client_splay] %> -L <%= @node[:chef][:client_log] %> "&>/dev/null"
+    RETVAL=$?
+    echo
+    [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch ${lockfile}
+    return $RETVAL
+}
+
+stop() {
+    echo -n "Stopping $prog: "
+    if [ -f $pidfile ]; then
+        killproc chef-client
+        RETVAL=$?
+        if [ $RETVAL -ne 0 ]; then
+            failure;
+        fi;
+    else
+        RETVAL=1
+        failure;
+    fi
+    rm -f $lockfile
+    echo
+    return $RETVAL
+}
+
+case "$1" in
+  start)
+        start
+        ;;
+  stop)
+        stop
+        ;;
+  restart)
+        stop
+        start
+        ;;
+  condrestart)
+        if [ -f $lockfile ]; then
+            stop
+            start
+        fi
+        ;;
+  status)
+        status chef-client
+        ;;
+  *)
+    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|condrestart|status}"
+    exit 1
+esac
+
+exit $RETVAL
diff --git a/chef/templates/default/chef-indexer.init.erb b/chef/templates/default/chef-indexer.init.erb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..42731e4d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chef/templates/default/chef-indexer.init.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Startup script for chef-indexer. This version is deployed by chef itself.
+#
+# chkconfig: - 75 25
+# description: Server component of the Chef systems integration framework.
+# processname: chef-indexer
+#
+# pidfile: <%= @node[:chef][:run_path] %>/chef-indexer.pid
+
+# Source function library
+. /etc/init.d/functions
+
+prog="chef-indexer"
+pidfile=<%= @node[:chef][:run_path] %>/chef-client.pid
+lockfile=/var/lock/subsys/$prog
+config=/etc/chef/indexer.rb
+user="chef"
+group="chef"
+
+start() {
+    echo -n "Starting $prog:"
+    daemon chef-indexer -d -c "$config" -u "$user" -g "$group" -L <%= @node[:chef][:indexer_log] %> "&>/dev/null"
+    RETVAL=$?
+    echo
+    [ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch ${lockfile}
+    return $RETVAL
+}
+
+stop() {
+    echo -n "Stopping $prog: "
+    if [ -f $pidfile ]; then
+        killproc chef-indexer
+        RETVAL=$?
+        if [ $RETVAL -ne 0 ]; then
+            failure;
+        fi;
+    else
+        RETVAL=1
+        failure;
+    fi
+    rm -f $lockfile
+    echo
+    return $RETVAL
+}
+
+case "$1" in
+  start)
+        start
+        ;;
+  stop)
+        stop
+        ;;
+  restart)
+        stop
+        start
+        ;;
+  condrestart)
+        if [ -f $lockfile ]; then
+            stop
+            start
+        fi
+        ;;
+  status)
+        status chef-indexer
+        ;;
+  *)
+    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|condrestart|status}"
+    exit 1
+esac
+
+exit $RETVAL
diff --git a/chef/templates/default/client.rb.erb b/chef/templates/default/client.rb.erb
index dfae3c731..261afc802 100644
--- a/chef/templates/default/client.rb.erb
+++ b/chef/templates/default/client.rb.erb
@@ -16,4 +16,6 @@ search_url         "https://<%= @node[:chef][:server_fqdn] %>"
 file_store_path    "<%= @node[:chef][:path] %>/file_store"
 file_cache_path    "<%= @node[:chef][:path] %>/cache"
 
+pid_file           "<%= @node[:chef][:run_path] %>/chef-client.pid"
+
 Chef::Log::Formatter.show_time = true
diff --git a/chef/templates/default/indexer.conf.erb b/chef/templates/default/indexer.conf.erb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c0e7840e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chef/templates/default/indexer.conf.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#
+# Chef Indxer Config File
+#
+# Dynamically generated by Chef - local modifications will be replaced
+#
+
+search_index_path  "<%= @node[:chef][:path] %>/search_index"
+
+pid_file           "<%= @node[:chef][:run_path] %>/chef-indexer.pid"
+
+Chef::Log::Formatter.show_time = false
diff --git a/packages/attributes/packages.rb b/packages/attributes/packages.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cb1e3349b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/attributes/packages.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+packages Mash.new unless attribute?("packages")
+
+# Toggle for recipes to determine if we should rely on distribution packages
+# or gems.
+packages[:dist_only] = false unless packages.has_key?(:dist_only)
diff --git a/packages/libraries/packages.rb b/packages/libraries/packages.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a8ac477d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/libraries/packages.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Yay for helpers!
+
+class Chef
+  class Recipe
+    def dist_only?
+      @node[:packages][:dist_only]
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/packages/recipes/default.rb b/packages/recipes/default.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/passenger/recipes/default.rb b/passenger/recipes/default.rb
index bc5848616..9e4f0c96a 100644
--- a/passenger/recipes/default.rb
+++ b/passenger/recipes/default.rb
@@ -22,8 +22,16 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+include_recipe "packages"
 include_recipe "ruby"
 
+if platform?("centos","redhat") and dist_only?
+  # just the gem, we'll install the apache module within apache2
+  package "rubygem-passenger"
+
+  return
+end
+
 %w{ apache2-prefork-dev libapr1-dev }.each do |pkg|
   package pkg do
     action :upgrade
diff --git a/stompserver/recipes/default.rb b/stompserver/recipes/default.rb
index 105254195..03d91820b 100644
--- a/stompserver/recipes/default.rb
+++ b/stompserver/recipes/default.rb
@@ -17,10 +17,23 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+include_recipe "packages"
+
+if platform?("centos","redhat") and dist_only?
+  package "rubygem-stompserver"
+
+  service "stompserver" do
+    supports [ :restart, :reload, :status ]
+    action [ :enable, :start ]
+  end
+
+  return
+end
+
 include_recipe "runit"
 
 gem_package "stompserver" do
   action :install
 end
 
-runit_service "stompserver"
\ No newline at end of file
+runit_service "stompserver"