diff --git a/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.init b/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.init
index f1d775404a..d502e2baf3 100644
--- a/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.init
+++ b/utils/mariadb/files/mysqld.init
@@ -5,14 +5,17 @@
 START=95
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034
 STOP=10
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+USE_PROCD=1
 
 NAME=mysqld
+my_user="mariadb"
+my_group="mariadb"
 
 LOGGER="/usr/bin/logger -p user.err -s -t $NAME --"
 [ -x "$LOGGER" ] || LOGGER="echo"
 
 MYSQLD="/usr/bin/$NAME"
-MYSQLDSAFE="/usr/bin/mysqld_safe"
 
 pidfile=""
 
@@ -63,25 +66,28 @@ mysqld_status() {
 	fi
 }
 
-start() {
+start_service() {
 	conf=/etc/mysql/my.cnf
 	logdir=/var/log/mysql
 	rundir=/var/run/mysqld
 
 	hint="please fix your server configuration in /etc/mysql/"
  
-	for i in "$MYSQLD" "$MYSQLDSAFE"; do
-		if [ ! -x "$i" ]; then
-			$LOGGER "$i is missing"
-			exit 1
-		fi
-	done
+	if [ ! -x "$MYSQLD" ]; then
+		$LOGGER "$MYSQLD is missing"
+		exit 1
+	fi
 
 	if [ ! -r "$conf" ]; then
 		$LOGGER "$conf cannot be read"
 		exit 1
 	fi
 
+	if mysqld_status check_alive; then
+		$LOGGER "server is already running"
+		exit 0
+	fi
+
 	config_load "$NAME"
 
 	config_get_bool enabled general enabled 0
@@ -116,48 +122,39 @@ start() {
 		$LOGGER "Cannot detect privileges table. You might need to run"
 		$LOGGER "'mysql_install_db \"$args\"'"
 		$LOGGER "to initialize the system tables."
+		$LOGGER "Then hand it ower to MariaDB user"
+		$LOGGER "'chown -Rh \"$my_user:$my_group\" \"$datadir\"'"
 		exit 1
 	fi
 
-	# Start daemon
-	if mysqld_status check_alive; then
-		$LOGGER "server is already running"
-	else
-		for i in "$logdir" "$rundir"; do
-			opts="-m 0750"
-			if ! [ -e "$i" ]; then
-				# $rundir needs to be accessible for
-				# clients
-				if [ "$i" = "$rundir" ]; then
-					opts=
-				fi
-				# shellcheck disable=SC2086
-				mkdir -p $opts "$i"
-				[ -d "$i" ] && chown mariadb:mariadb "$i"
+	for i in "$logdir" "$rundir" "$tmpdir" "$datadir"; do
+		opts="-m 0750"
+		if ! [ -e "$i" ]; then
+			# $rundir needs to be accessible for
+			# clients
+			if [ "$i" = "$rundir" ]; then
+				opts=
 			fi
-		done
-		# shellcheck disable=SC2154,SC2086
-		"$MYSQLDSAFE" $options >/dev/null 2>&1 &
-	fi
-}
-
-stop() {
-	timeout="0"
-	while mysqld_status check_alive && [ "$timeout" -lt 60 ]; do
-		mysql_kill -TERM
-		sleep 1
-		timeout="$(($timeout + 1))"
+			# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+			mkdir -p $opts "$i"
+			[ -d "$i" ] && chown -Rh "$my_user:$my_group" "$i"
+		fi
 	done
-	if ! mysqld_status check_dead; then
-		$LOGGER "server is failing to stop"
-		mysql_kill -KILL
-	fi
-}
 
-reload() {
-	if mysqld_status check_alive; then
-		mysql_kill -HUP
-	else
-		$LOGGER "server is not running"
-	fi
+	# Start daemon
+	procd_open_instance
+
+	# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+	procd_set_param command "$MYSQLD" $options
+	procd_set_param respawn "${respawn_threshold:-3600}" "${respawn_timeout:-5}" "${respawn_retry:-5}"
+	# run as user
+	procd_set_param user "$my_user"
+	# forward stderr to logd
+	procd_set_param stderr 1
+	# use HUP to reload
+	procd_set_param reload_signal HUP
+	# terminate using signals
+	procd_set_param term_timeout 60
+
+	procd_close_instance
 }