diff --git a/aws_bitbucket_mesh_node.yml b/aws_bitbucket_mesh_node.yml
index 1957b1a..c094cec 100644
--- a/aws_bitbucket_mesh_node.yml
+++ b/aws_bitbucket_mesh_node.yml
@@ -5,12 +5,25 @@
   vars:
     # See group_vars/aws_node_local.yml, which pull vars from the environment.
     atl_product_family: "stash"
-    atl_product_edition: "bitbucket"
+    atl_product_edition: "mesh"
     atl_product_user: "bitbucket"
-
+    atl_systemd_service_name: "mesh.service"
+    atl_startup_systemd_params:
+      - 'UMask=0027'
+      - 'Environment=MESH_HOME={{ atl_home_base }}/{{ atl_product_edition }}'
+      - 'Environment=JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java'
+      - 'Environment=JRE_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java'
+      - 'Environment=JMX_REMOTE_AUTH=password'
+      - 'Environment=JMX_PASSWORD_FILE=/var/atlassian/application-data/jmx/jmx.access'
+      - 'Environment="JVM_SUPPORT_RECOMMENDED_ARGS=-Dmesh.enabled=true -Dplugin.bitbucket-git.mesh.sidecar.child-process=false -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.port=4444 -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -XX:HeapDumpPath={{ atl_home_base }}/{{ atl_product_edition }}/log"'
+      - 'Environment=JVM_MAXIMUM_MEMORY={{ atl_jvm_heap }}'
+    atl_startup_exec_path: "{{ mesh_install_dir }}/current/bin/start-mesh.sh"
+    atl_stop_exec_path: "{{ mesh_install_dir }}/current/bin/stop-mesh.sh"
+    atl_systemd_service_target: "multi-user.target"
 
   roles:
     - role: linux_common
     - role: aws_common
     - role: product_common
     - role: bitbucket_mesh
+    - role: product_startup
diff --git a/roles/bitbucket_mesh/tasks/main.yml b/roles/bitbucket_mesh/tasks/main.yml
index 37d8ab3..ed72725 100644
--- a/roles/bitbucket_mesh/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/bitbucket_mesh/tasks/main.yml
@@ -11,14 +11,6 @@
     - "{{ atl_home_base }}/{{ atl_product_edition }}"
     - "{{ mesh_install_dir }}"
 
-- name: Template out the mesh service file
-  ansible.builtin.template:
-    src: mesh.service.j2
-    dest: "/usr/lib/systemd/system/mesh.service"
-    owner: "root"
-    group: "root"
-    mode: 0740
-
 - name: download the mesh distribution using maven
   community.general.maven_artifact:
     group_id: "com.atlassian.bitbucket.mesh"
@@ -27,11 +19,38 @@
     version: "{{ atl_product_version }}"
     repository_url: "{{ bitbucket_mesh_maven_repo }}"
     dest: "{{ mesh_install_dir }}"
+    keep_name: yes
     mode: "0644"
     owner: "{{ atl_product_user_uid }}"
     group: "{{ atl_product_user_uid }}"
   register: maven_download
 
-- name: debug
-  debug:
-    var: maven_download
\ No newline at end of file
+- name: extract the downloaded artifact
+  ansible.builtin.unarchive:
+    src: "{{ maven_download.dest }}"
+    dest: "/opt/atlassian/mesh/"
+    creates: "/opt/atlassian/mesh/atlassian-bitbucket-mesh-{{ atl_product_version }}"
+    mode: 0755
+    owner: "{{ atl_product_user }}"
+    group: "{{ atl_product_user }}"
+  register: mesh_extract
+  when:
+    - maven_download.changed | bool
+    - not maven_download.failed
+
+# the owner/group on the unarchive above isn't thorough
+- name: adjust permissions on the extracted directory
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    state: directory
+    path: "/opt/atlassian/mesh/atlassian-bitbucket-mesh-{{ atl_product_version }}"
+    owner: "{{ atl_product_user }}"
+    group: "{{ atl_product_user }}"
+    recurse: yes
+
+- name: symlink to the current version
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    src: "/opt/atlassian/mesh/atlassian-bitbucket-mesh-{{ atl_product_version }}"
+    dest: "/opt/atlassian/mesh/current"
+    state: link
+  when:
+    - mesh_extract.changed | bool
diff --git a/roles/bitbucket_mesh/templates/mesh.service.j2 b/roles/bitbucket_mesh/templates/mesh.service.j2
deleted file mode 100644
index f95a22c..0000000
--- a/roles/bitbucket_mesh/templates/mesh.service.j2
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-[Unit]
-Description=Atlassian bitbucket-mesh
-After=syslog.target network-online.target
-
-[Service]
-Type=forking
-UMask=0027
-User={{ atl_product_user }}
-Group={{ atl_product_user }}
-StandardOutput=journal+console
-StandardError=journal+console
-LimitNOFILE=65336
-Environment=MESH_HOME={{ atl_home_base }}/{{ atl_product_edition }}
-Environment=JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java
-Environment=JRE_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java
-Environment=JMX_REMOTE_AUTH=password
-Environment=JMX_PASSWORD_FILE=/var/atlassian/application-data/jmx/jmx.access
-Environment="JVM_SUPPORT_RECOMMENDED_ARGS=-Dmesh.enabled=true -Dplugin.bitbucket-git.mesh.sidecar.child-process=false -Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.port=4444 -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -XX:HeapDumpPath={{ atl_home_base }}/{{ atl_product_edition }}/log"
-Environment=JVM_MAXIMUM_MEMORY={{ atl_jvm_heap }}
-PIDFile={{ atl_home_base }}/{{ atl_product_edition }}/log/mesh.pid
-PassEnvironment=JMX_REMOTE_AUTH JMX_PASSWORD_FILE JAVA_HOME
-ExecStart={{ mesh_install_dir }}/current/bin/start-mesh.sh
-ExecStop={{ mesh_install_dir }}/current/bin/stop-mesh.sh
-
-[Install]
-WantedBy=multi-user.target
\ No newline at end of file