diff --git a/molecule.yml b/molecule.yml
index 8b894b1..7c636d8 100644
--- a/molecule.yml
+++ b/molecule.yml
@@ -7,12 +7,18 @@ docker:
       image: atosatto/centos
       image_version: 7-systemd
       privileged: True
-    # - name: minio-ubuntu-16.04
-    #   image: atosatto/ubuntu
-    #   image_version: 16.04
+    - name: minio-ubuntu-16.04
+      image: atosatto/ubuntu
+      image_version: 16.04
+      privileged: True
+    # TODO: Find a workaround to
+    #       https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/18894
+    #       and add ubuntu-14.04 to CI.
+    # - name: minio-ubuntu-14.04
+    #   image: ubuntu
+    #   image_version: 14.04
     #   privileged: True
-    # Unfortunately, upstart does not run in Docker containers,
-    # so no Ubuntu 14.04 docker tests :/
+
 
 # vagrant driver configuration (development)
 vagrant:
@@ -31,6 +37,10 @@ vagrant:
         cpus: 2
   instances:
     - name: ansible-minio-01
+      interfaces:
+        - network_name: private_network
+          type: dhcp
+          auto_config: true
       options:
         append_platform_to_hostname: yes
 
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index d22f2a8..449aaab 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,19 @@
 - name: include os-specific variables
   include_vars: "{{ ansible_os_family }}.yml"
 
+  # add the python sni support to legacy python installations
+- include: python_sni.yml
+  when: ansible_os_family == 'Debian'
+    and ansible_python_version | version_compare('2.6.0', '>=')
+    and ansible_python_version | version_compare('2.7.9', '<')
+
+  # install additional ansible dependencies
+- name: install ansible support packages
+  package:
+    name: "{{ item }}"
+    state: present
+  with_items: "{{ ansible_support_packages }}"
+
 - name: create minio group
   group:
     name: "{{ minio_group }}"
diff --git a/tasks/python_sni.yml b/tasks/python_sni.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26ffb5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/python_sni.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+
+# with_indexed_items is required as a workaround for this issue:
+# https://github.com/ansible/ansible-modules-core/issues/1178
+- name: install python-pip
+  package:
+    name: "{{ item.1 }}"
+    state: present
+  with_indexed_items: "{{ python_pip_packages }}"
+
+- name: install the Python SNI support packages
+  package:
+    name: "{{ item }}"
+    state: present
+  with_items: "{{ python_sni_support_packages }}"
+
+# There extra pip dependencies are needed to add SSL SNI support to
+# Python version prior to 2.7.9. SNI support is needed by the Ansible
+# get_url module in server.yml and client.yml.
+- name: install the Python SNI python-pip dependencies.
+  pip:
+    name: "{{ item }}"
+    state: present
+  with_items: "{{ python_sni_pip_dependencies }}"
diff --git a/tasks/server.yml b/tasks/server.yml
index c47d4ed..0555c08 100644
--- a/tasks/server.yml
+++ b/tasks/server.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 - name: generate the minio server envfile
   template:
-    src: minio_env.j2
+    src: minio.env.j2
     dest: "{{ minio_server_envfile }}"
   notify: restart minio
 
@@ -20,11 +20,12 @@
     dest: "{{ systemd_units_dir }}/minio.service"
   when: ansible_service_mgr == "systemd"
 
-- name: create the minio server upstart config
+- name: create the minio server init.d config
   template:
-    src: minio.upstart.j2
-    dest: "{{ upstart_conf_dir }}/minio.conf"
-  when: ansible_service_mgr == "upstart"
+    src: minio.init.j2
+    dest: "{{ initd_conf_dir }}/minio"
+    mode: 0755
+  when: ansible_service_mgr != "systemd"
 
 - name: enable and start the minio service
   service:
diff --git a/templates/minio_env.j2 b/templates/minio.env.j2
similarity index 100%
rename from templates/minio_env.j2
rename to templates/minio.env.j2
diff --git a/templates/minio.init.j2 b/templates/minio.init.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2a88d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/minio.init.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+### BEGIN INIT INFO
+# Provides:          minio
+# Required-Start:    $syslog $network
+# Required-Stop:     $syslog
+# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
+# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
+# Short-Description: Distributed object storage server built for cloud applications and devops.
+# Description:       Distributed object storage server built for cloud applications and devops.
+### END INIT INFO
+
+# Do NOT "set -e"
+
+# PATH should only include /usr/* if it runs after the mountnfs.sh script
+PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin
+NAME=minio
+SERVICEVERBOSE=yes
+PIDFILE=/var/run/$NAME.pid
+SCRIPTNAME=/etc/init.d/$NAME
+WORKINGDIR=/usr/local/
+DAEMON="{{ minio_server_bin }}"
+USER="{{ minio_user }}"
+
+# Read configuration variable file if it is present
+[ -r "{{ minio_server_envfile }}" ] && . {{ minio_server_envfile }}
+
+# Make sure the MINIO_VOLUMES variable is defined
+[ -n "${MINIO_VOLUMES}" ] || log_daemon_msg "Variable MINIO_VOLUMES not set in {{ minio_server_envfile }}"
+
+# Set the DAEMON_ARGS variable
+DAEMON_ARGS="server $MINIO_OPTS $MINIO_VOLUMES"
+
+# Specifies the maximum file descriptor number that can be opened by this process
+ulimit -n 65536
+
+# Exit if the package is not installed
+[ -x "$DAEMON" ] || exit 0
+
+# Load the VERBOSE setting and other rcS variables
+. /lib/init/vars.sh
+
+# Define LSB log_* functions.
+# Depend on lsb-base (>= 3.2-14) to ensure that this file is present
+# and status_of_proc is working.
+. /lib/lsb/init-functions
+
+#
+# Function that starts the daemon/service
+#
+do_start()
+{
+	# Return
+	#   0 if daemon has been started
+	#   1 if daemon was already running
+	#   2 if daemon could not be started
+	sh -c "USER=$USER start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --make-pidfile \\
+			--test --chdir $WORKINGDIR --chuid $USER \\
+			--exec $DAEMON -- $DAEMON_ARGS > /dev/null \\
+			|| return 1"
+	sh -c "USER=$USER start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --make-pidfile \\
+			--background --chdir $WORKINGDIR --chuid $USER \\
+			--exec $DAEMON -- $DAEMON_ARGS \\
+			|| return 2"
+}
+
+#
+# Function that stops the daemon/service
+#
+do_stop()
+{
+	# Return
+	#   0 if daemon has been stopped
+	#   1 if daemon was already stopped
+	#   2 if daemon could not be stopped
+	#   other if a failure occurred
+	start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --retry=TERM/1/KILL/5 --pidfile $PIDFILE --name $NAME
+	RETVAL="$?"
+	[ "$RETVAL" = 2 ] && return 2
+	start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --oknodo --retry=0/1/KILL/5 --exec $DAEMON
+	[ "$?" = 2 ] && return 2
+	# Many daemons don't delete their pidfiles when they exit.
+	rm -f $PIDFILE
+	return "$RETVAL"
+}
+
+
+case "$1" in
+  start)
+	[ "$SERVICEVERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Starting" "$NAME"
+	do_start
+	case "$?" in
+		0|1) [ "$SERVICEVERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
+		2) [ "$SERVICEVERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1 ;;
+	esac
+	;;
+  stop)
+	[ "$SERVICEVERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Stopping" "$NAME"
+	do_stop
+	case "$?" in
+		0|1) [ "$SERVICEVERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
+		2) [ "$SERVICEVERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1 ;;
+	esac
+	;;
+  status)
+	status_of_proc "$DAEMON" "$NAME" && exit 0 || exit $?
+	;;
+  restart|force-reload)
+	log_daemon_msg "Restarting" "$NAME"
+	do_stop
+	case "$?" in
+	  0|1)
+		do_start
+		case "$?" in
+			0) log_end_msg 0 ;;
+			1) log_end_msg 1 ;; # Old process is still running
+			*) log_end_msg 1 ;; # Failed to start
+		esac
+		;;
+	  *)
+		# Failed to stop
+		log_end_msg 1
+		;;
+		esac
+	;;
+  *)
+		echo "Usage: $SCRIPTNAME {start|stop|status|restart|force-reload}" >&2
+		exit 3
+		;;
+esac
+
+:
diff --git a/templates/minio.upstart.j2 b/templates/minio.upstart.j2
deleted file mode 100644
index c326189..0000000
--- a/templates/minio.upstart.j2
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-description "minio"
-
-start on (local-filesystems and net-device-up IFACE!=lo)
-stop on shutdown
-
-# Maximum file descriptor number that can be opened
-limit nofile 65536 65536
-
-# Set the kill signal and timeout
-kill signal SIGTERM
-
-pre-start script
-    # enable the dash allexport feature
-    set -a
-
-    # stop job from continuing if no config file found for daemon
-    [ ! -f {{ minio_server_envfile }} ] && { stop; exit 0; }
-
-    # source the config file
-    . {{ minio_server_envfile }}
-
-    # stop job from continuing if MINIO_VOLUMES not set
-    [ -n "$MINIO_VOLUMES" ] || { echo "Variable MINIO_VOLUMES not set in {{ minio_server_envfile }}"; stop; exit 0; }
-
-end script
-
-script
-    # enable the dash allexport feature
-    set -a
-
-    # source the environment config file
-     . {{ minio_server_envfile }}
-
-    # start the minio server
-    exec sudo -u {{ minio_user }} {{ minio_server_bin }} server $MINIO_OPTS $MINIO_VOLUMES
-end script
diff --git a/vars/Debian.yml b/vars/Debian.yml
index 56f7f1a..9843211 100644
--- a/vars/Debian.yml
+++ b/vars/Debian.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,18 @@
 ---
 
+# systemd unit files location
 systemd_units_dir: /lib/systemd/system
-upstart_conf_dir: /etc/init
+
+# packages providing python-pip
+python_pip_packages:
+  - python-pip
+
+# extra packages required to add SNI support to legacy python versions
+python_sni_support_packages:
+  - python-dev
+  - libssl-dev
+  - libffi-dev
+
+# extra packages needed by ansible to correctly configure the system
+ansible_support_packages:
+  - ca-certificates
diff --git a/vars/RedHat.yml b/vars/RedHat.yml
index 565d01d..d596637 100644
--- a/vars/RedHat.yml
+++ b/vars/RedHat.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
 ---
 
+# systemd unit files location
 systemd_units_dir: /etc/systemd/system
+
+# packages providing python-pip
+python_pip_packages:
+  - epel-release
+  - python-pip
+
+# extra packages required to add SNI support to legacy python versions
+python_sni_support_packages: [ ]
+
+# extra packages needed by ansible to correctly configure the system
+ansible_support_packages: [ ]
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index 1dc9b27..21f7299 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -3,3 +3,12 @@
 # Minio and MC download urls
 minio_server_download_url: https://dl.minio.io/server/minio/release/linux-amd64/minio
 minio_client_download_url: https://dl.minio.io/client/mc/release/linux-amd64/mc
+
+# default init scripts location
+initd_conf_dir: /etc/init.d
+
+# python pip packages required to support SNI certificates
+python_sni_pip_dependencies:
+  - pyopenssl
+  - ndg-httpsclient
+  - pyasn1