diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.config b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.config
index ccabb7b54c4b201d0d17df8aaf534935176baf36..f878aebccbf7b833197926371851fdac54e8b775 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.config
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.config
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ new=${2:-}
 db_version 2.0
 
 case "$new" in
+"")
+  # fresh install
+  : nop
+  ;;
 1:*)
   echoerr "Upgrade from $new"
   if [ -e /etc/default/octez-baker-active ]; then
@@ -18,18 +22,11 @@ case "$new" in
     . /etc/default/octez-baker-active
     db_set octez-baker/liquidity-vote "$LQVOTE"
     db_set octez-baker/baker-key "$BAKER_KEY"
-    db_set octez-baker/baker-active-protocol "$PROTOCOL"
-  fi
-
-  if [ -e /etc/default/octez-baker-next ]; then
-    #shellcheck disable=SC1091
-    . /etc/default/octez-baker-next
-    db_set octez-baker/baker-next-protocol "$PROTOCOL"
   fi
   ;;
 *)
-  echoerr "Legacy upgrade from $new"
   if [ -e /etc/octez/baker.conf ]; then
+    echoerr "Legacy upgrade from $new"
     echoerr "Updating baker configuration from old /etc/octez/baker.conf"
     # the values set here in debconf are going to be used in the
     # postinst script to write the /etc/default/ files for this
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.postinst b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.postinst
index 702b0b7942343e58ab00631c7c28ebd467abfc78..a8dc1949a592ea3d84371f8c2aa119134e181f91 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.postinst
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.postinst
@@ -18,14 +18,13 @@ for file in /usr/bin/octez-baker-*; do
   if [ -z "$PROTO_CHOICES" ]; then
     PROTO_CHOICES="$suffix"
   else
-    PROTO_CHOICES="$PROTO_CHOICES, $suffix"
+    PROTO_CHOICES="$PROTO_CHOICES $suffix"
   fi
 done
 
 # we guess the active protocol
-ACTIVE_PROTOCOL=$(echo "$PROTO_CHOICES" | tr ' ' '\n' | grep -v '^alpha$' | sort | head -n 1)
-db_subst octez-baker/baker-active-protocol choices "$PROTO_CHOICES"
-db_subst octez-baker/baker-next-protocol choices "none, $PROTO_CHOICES"
+ACTIVE_PROTOCOL=$(echo "$PROTO_CHOICES" | tr ' ' '\n' | grep -v '^(alpha|next)$' | sort | head -n 1)
+NEXT_PROTOCOL=$(echo "$PROTO_CHOICES" | tr ' ' '\n' | grep -v '^(alpha|next)$' | sort | head -n 2 | tail -n 1)
 
 case "${1}" in
 configure)
@@ -39,27 +38,12 @@ configure)
     echo "LQVOTE=${RET}" > /etc/default/octez-baker-active
     echo "LQVOTE=${RET}" > /etc/default/octez-baker-next
 
-    db_input medium octez-baker/baker-active-protocol || true
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2119
-    db_go || true
-
-    db_input medium octez-baker/baker-next-protocol || true
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2119
-    db_go || true
-
     db_get octez-baker/baker-key
     echo "BAKER_KEY=${RET}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-active
     echo "BAKER_KEY=${RET}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-next
 
-    db_get octez-baker/baker-active-protocol
-    echo "PROTOCOL=${RET}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-active
-
-    db_get octez-baker/baker-next-protocol
-    if [ -n "${RET:-}" ]; then
-      echo "PROTOCOL=${RET}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-next
-    else
-      echo "#PROTOCOL=${RET}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-next
-    fi
+    echo "PROTOCOL=${ACTIVE_PROTOCOL}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-active
+    echo "PROTOCOL=${NEXT_PROTOCOL}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-next
 
     db_get octez-baker/dal-node
     DAL=${RET}
@@ -91,26 +75,10 @@ configure)
       echoerr "Setting defaults in /etc/default/octez-baker-*"
       echoerr "Migrating values when possible"
 
-      db_set octez-baker/baker-active-protocol "$ACTIVE_PROTOCOL"
-
-      db_input medium octez-baker/baker-active-protocol || true
-      # shellcheck disable=SC2119
-      db_go || true
-
-      db_input medium octez-baker/baker-next-protocol || true
-      # shellcheck disable=SC2119
-      db_go || true
-
-      db_get octez-baker/baker-active-protocol
-      echo "PROTOCOL=${RET}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-active
-
-      db_get octez-baker/baker-next-protocol
-      if [ -n "${RET:-}" ]; then
-        echo "PROTOCOL=${RET}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-next
-      else
-        echo "#PROTOCOL=${RET}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-next
-      fi
-      echoerr "PROTOCOL=${RET}"
+      echo "PROTOCOL=${ACTIVE_PROTOCOL}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-active
+      echoerr "ACTIVE PROTO=${ACTIVE_PROTOCOL}"
+      echo "PROTOCOL=${NEXT_PROTOCOL}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-next
+      echoerr "NEXT PROTO=${NEXT_PROTOCOL}"
 
       db_get octez-baker/liquidity-vote
       echo "LQVOTE=${RET}" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-active
@@ -151,4 +119,6 @@ configure)
   ;;
 esac
 
+systemctl daemon-reload || true
+
 #DEBHELPER#
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.preinst b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.preinst
index 62191265368c51739942ac9b48373db7cf0f50cf..ee6ee6e448161f31a2bfb48271919ed1928f64ac 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.preinst
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.preinst
@@ -26,13 +26,6 @@ install | upgrade)
         . /etc/default/octez-baker-active
         db_set octez-baker/liquidity-vote "$LQVOTE"
         db_set octez-baker/baker-key "$BAKER_KEY"
-        db_set octez-baker/baker-active-protocol "$PROTOCOL"
-      fi
-
-      if [ -e /etc/default/octez-baker-next ]; then
-        #shellcheck disable=SC1091
-        . /etc/default/octez-baker-next
-        db_set octez-baker/baker-next-protocol "$PROTOCOL"
       fi
       ;;
     *)
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.prerm b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.prerm
index e5d9656d6a03207eec7f83d920e374e05c93609b..c359652643a0b5041ed17419517c6efd73fff3c4 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.prerm
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.prerm
@@ -5,21 +5,27 @@ set -e
 # shellcheck disable=SC1091
 . /usr/share/debconf/confmodule
 
+# systemctl should not be called directly. use this
+# wrapper script if available
+debsystemctl=$(command -v deb-systemd-invoke || echo systemctl)
+
 for s in baker accuser; do
 
   # Check if the old daemon is active before stopping it
-  if systemctl is-active --quiet "octez-$s.service"; then
+  if $debsystemctl is-active --quiet "octez-$s.service"; then
     echo "Stopping old octez-$s"
-    sudo systemctl stop "octez-$s.service"
+    $debsystemctl stop "octez-$s.service"
   fi
 
   for p in active next; do
     # Check if the daemon is active before stopping it
-    if systemctl is-active --quiet "octez-$s-$p.service"; then
+    if $debsystemctl is-active --quiet "octez-$s-$p.service"; then
       # Set a flag in a temporary file to indicate the daemon was running
       touch "/run/octez-baker/$s-$p-daemon_was_running"
       echo "Stopping octez-$s-$p"
-      sudo systemctl stop "octez-$s-$p.service"
+      $debsystemctl stop "octez-$s-$p.service"
     fi
   done
+
+  $debsystemctl stop "octez-baker.service" || true
 done
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.service b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ddbd8fe5a65fed57316d19abeff9683c04d7e146
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.service
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Octez baker service
+After=network.target
+Requires=octez-baker-active.service octez-baker-next.service octez-accuser-active.service octez-accuser-next.service
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=/bin/true
+RemainAfterExit=yes
+Restart=on-failure
+TimeoutStartSec=300
+TimeoutStopSec=300
+
+ExecStartPre=systemctl start octez-baker-active.service
+ExecStartPre=systemctl start octez-baker-next.service
+ExecStartPre=systemctl start octez-accuser-active.service
+ExecStartPre=systemctl start octez-accuser-next.service
+
+ExecStopPost=systemctl stop octez-baker-active.service
+ExecStopPost=systemctl stop octez-baker-next.service
+ExecStopPost=systemctl stop octez-accuser-active.service
+ExecStopPost=systemctl stop octez-accuser-next.service
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.templates b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.templates
index fde89870f39716473004c6213f8280b7eb5c1081..0cbd464f5e5ff3c1c8f5768b1a7abe97b5146d1c 100644
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.templates
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-baker.templates
@@ -15,24 +15,6 @@ Description: The baker key to associate to this baker:
  can also be added later while configuring the baker.
 Type: string
 
-Template: octez-baker/baker-active-protocol
-Description: The active protocol associated to the baker:
- Bakers use the current protocol of mainnet/ghostnet for production/staging, respectively.
-Type: select
-Choices: ${choices}
-
-Template: octez-baker/baker-next-protocol
-Description: The next protocol associated to the baker upon activation:
- This is the next adopted mainnet protocol. Upon activation
- both the baker for the active protocol and the next protocol must be running
- at the same time. You can choose the value "none" if you don't know
- what to choose now.
- .
- After activation you can re-configure the package to stop the baker for the
- old protocol and mark the freshly activated protocol as active.
-Type: select
-Choices: ${choices}
-
 Template: octez-baker/dal-node
 Type: boolean
 Default: true
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postinst b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postinst
index 8320d4868ac64f302e542269f827437492414263..201f4749b3c53465d51d0edc93456449fe68c038 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postinst
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postinst
@@ -114,4 +114,6 @@ if [ -f /var/lib/octez-node/daemon_was_running ] &&
   rm /var/lib/octez-node/daemon_was_running
 fi
 
+systemctl daemon-reload || true
+
 #DEBHELPER#
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postrm b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postrm
index fe5e6dfa25bc331fcc6912d6bf381c3754c053e7..5857451f5c816e2c31252f5c110fd7ea4d0a1073 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postrm
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.postrm
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ purge)
   db_get octez-node/purge_warning || true
   case "$RET" in
   true)
+    $debsystemctl stop octez-node.service || true
     echo "Removing data and tezos user"
     rm -Rf "$DATADIR"
     deluser --quiet tezos || true
@@ -33,8 +34,8 @@ purge)
     rm -Rf /var/log/tezos
     ;;
   *)
+    $debsystemctl stop octez-node.service || true
     echo "Keep user and datadir while $1"
-    echo "User said $RET"
     ;;
   esac
   rm -Rf /run/octez-node
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.prerm b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.prerm
index 005a234cad937f4b3365f378e0d821ede0f438ad..31c81fc060d9ab2c18cf7bd4ddffe0d3d51656e0 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.prerm
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/octez-node.prerm
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ set -e
 # shellcheck disable=SC1091
 . /usr/share/debconf/confmodule
 
+# systemctl should not be called directly. use this
+# wrapper script if available
+debsystemctl=$(command -v deb-systemd-invoke || echo systemctl)
+
 case "$1" in
 remove)
   # display a warning before proceding
@@ -20,11 +24,11 @@ upgrade | deconfigure | failed-upgrade) ;;
 esac
 
 # Check if the daemon is active before stopping it
-if systemctl is-active --quiet octez-node.service; then
+if $debsystemctl is-active --quiet octez-node.service; then
   # Set a flag in a temporary file to indicate the daemon was running
   touch /run/octez-node/daemon_was_running
   echo "Stopping octez-node"
-  sudo systemctl stop octez-node.service
+  $debsystemctl stop octez-node.service
 fi
 
 #DEBHELPER#
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/rules b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/rules
index 1ddf9c4ad5253a60a052736aa3d7b64f15416c60..209a950aa63aa1ddf95933a2516bd8d7b698481c 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/rules
+++ b/scripts/packaging/octez/debian/rules
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ override_dh_installsystemd:
 	dh_installsystemd -p octez-baker --no-enable --no-start --name octez-baker-next
 	dh_installsystemd -p octez-baker --no-enable --no-start --name octez-accuser-next
 	dh_installsystemd -p octez-baker --no-enable --no-start --name octez-accuser-active
+	dh_installsystemd -p octez-baker --no-start
 
 override_dh_installlogrotate:
 	dh_installlogrotate --package=octez-node
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh b/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh
index a082a44ebe56e57ff8356a6e027e7d03650d3148..8e2d87996f484532430ebfb35f61cd378b0d35cc 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh
+++ b/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/install-bin-deb.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ if [ -n "$DATADIR" ]; then
   echo "DATADIR=/custom/.tezos-node" >> /etc/default/octez-node
 fi
 
-sudo systemctl enable octez-node
 sudo systemctl start octez-node.service
 sudo systemctl status octez-node.service
 
@@ -67,8 +66,12 @@ key=$(sudo su tezos -c "octez-client show address alice" | grep Hash: | awk '{ p
 echo "BAKER_KEY=$key" >> /etc/default/octez-baker-active
 
 sudo systemctl enable octez-baker-active
-sudo systemctl start octez-baker-active.service
+sudo systemctl start octez-baker.service
+
+sudo systemctl status octez-baker.service
+
 sudo systemctl status octez-baker-active.service
+sudo systemctl status octez-baker-next.service
 
 sudo su tezos -c "octez-node config show"
 
diff --git a/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/upgrade-systemd-test.sh b/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/upgrade-systemd-test.sh
index 9bf19877c4a21fcbb1d48ed90c63158fc93ffb54..c9f5539b585d70a21352a26eefe071a1de107dd3 100755
--- a/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/upgrade-systemd-test.sh
+++ b/scripts/packaging/tests/deb/upgrade-systemd-test.sh
@@ -67,17 +67,19 @@ sudo apt-get update
 # parameters as part of the octez-node package.
 sudo apt-get upgrade -y -o DPkg::options::="--force-overwrite" octez-baker
 
-sudo systemctl enable octez-node
-sudo systemctl enable octez-baker-active
-
 cat /etc/default/octez-node
 cat /etc/default/octez-baker-active
 
 sudo systemctl restart octez-node.service
 sudo systemctl status octez-node.service
 
-sudo systemctl restart octez-baker-active.service
+sudo systemctl enable octez-baker-active
+sudo systemctl restart octez-baker.service
+
+sudo systemctl status octez-baker.service
+
 sudo systemctl status octez-baker-active.service
+sudo systemctl status octez-baker-next.service
 
 ERR=0