diff --git a/manifests/forwarder.pp b/manifests/forwarder.pp
index 6aa97eb5..984fbdd0 100644
--- a/manifests/forwarder.pp
+++ b/manifests/forwarder.pp
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
 # @param package_ensure
 #   Ensure parameter which will get passed to the Splunk package resource.
 #
+# @param service_ensure
+#   Ensure parameter which will set the service state to be ensure.
+#
 # @param staging_dir
 #   Root of the archive path to host the Splunk package.
 #
@@ -138,6 +141,7 @@
   String[1] $version                         = $splunk::params::version,
   String[1] $package_name                    = $splunk::params::forwarder_package_name,
   String[1] $package_ensure                  = $splunk::params::forwarder_package_ensure,
+  String[1] $service_ensure                  = $splunk::params::forwarder_service_ensure,
   String[1] $staging_dir                     = $splunk::params::staging_dir,
   String[1] $path_delimiter                  = $splunk::params::path_delimiter,
   String[1] $forwarder_package_src           = $splunk::params::forwarder_package_src,
diff --git a/manifests/forwarder/service.pp b/manifests/forwarder/service.pp
index 0fba9438..60f1b213 100644
--- a/manifests/forwarder/service.pp
+++ b/manifests/forwarder/service.pp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   }
 
   service { $splunk::forwarder::service_name:
-    ensure     => running,
+    ensure     => $splunk::forwarder::service_ensure,
     enable     => true,
     hasstatus  => true,
     hasrestart => true,
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index be9ff0d7..24187ba8 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -300,6 +300,7 @@
   $enterprise_package_src    = "${src_root}/products/splunk/releases/${version}/${enterprise_src_subdir}/${enterprise_src_package}"
   $forwarder_package_ensure = 'installed'
   $forwarder_package_src = "${src_root}/products/universalforwarder/releases/${version}/${forwarder_src_subdir}/${forwarder_src_package}"
+  $forwarder_service_ensure = 'running'
 
 
   # A meta resource so providers know where splunk is installed: