diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index da0ceaa..5b81475 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ Additional parameters to es_config allow the customization of the Java and Elast
 * ```es_allow_downgrades``` For development purposes only. (true or false (default) )
 * ```es_java_install``` If set to false, Java will not be installed. (true (default) or false)
 * ```update_java``` Updates Java to the latest version. (true or false (default))
-* ```es_max_map_count``` maximum number of VMA (Virtual Memory Areas) a process can own. Default is undefined and not used.
+* ```es_max_map_count``` maximum number of VMA (Virtual Memory Areas) a process can own. Defaults to 262144.
 * ```es_max_open_files``` the maximum file descriptor number that can be opened by this process. Defaults to 65536.
 
 Earlier examples illustrate the installation of plugins using `es_plugins`.  For officially supported plugins no version or source delimiter is required. The plugin script will determine the appropriate plugin version based on the target Elasticsearch version.  For community based plugins include the full path e.g. "lmenezes/elasticsearch-kopf" and the appropriate version for the target version of Elasticsearch.  This approach should NOT be used for X-Pack related plugins e.g. Security.  See X-Pack below for details here.
diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 6f09b9f..fb31044 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ es_pid_dir: "/var/run/elasticsearch"
 es_data_dirs: "/var/lib/elasticsearch"
 es_log_dir: "/var/log/elasticsearch"
 es_max_open_files: 65536
+es_max_map_count: 262144
 es_allow_downgrades: false
 es_enable_xpack: false
 es_xpack_features: ["alerting","monitoring","graph","security"]
diff --git a/templates/init/debian/elasticsearch.j2 b/templates/init/debian/elasticsearch.j2
index 68dc12e..8312be4 100755
--- a/templates/init/debian/elasticsearch.j2
+++ b/templates/init/debian/elasticsearch.j2
@@ -1,16 +1,9 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/bin/bash
 #
 # /etc/init.d/elasticsearch -- startup script for Elasticsearch
 #
-# Written by Miquel van Smoorenburg <miquels@cistron.nl>.
-# Modified for Debian GNU/Linux	by Ian Murdock <imurdock@gnu.ai.mit.edu>.
-# Modified for Tomcat by Stefan Gybas <sgybas@debian.org>.
-# Modified for Tomcat6 by Thierry Carrez <thierry.carrez@ubuntu.com>.
-# Additional improvements by Jason Brittain <jason.brittain@mulesoft.com>.
-# Modified by Nicolas Huray for Elasticsearch <nicolas.huray@gmail.com>.
-#
 ### BEGIN INIT INFO
-# Provides:          {{es_instance_name}}_{{default_file | basename}}
+# Provides:          elasticsearch
 # Required-Start:    $network $remote_fs $named
 # Required-Stop:     $network $remote_fs $named
 # Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
@@ -34,14 +27,11 @@ if [ `id -u` -ne 0 ]; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-
 . /lib/lsb/init-functions
-
 if [ -r /etc/default/rcS ]; then
 	. /etc/default/rcS
 fi
 
-
 # The following variables can be overwritten in $DEFAULT
 
 # Run Elasticsearch as this user ID and group ID
@@ -51,26 +41,16 @@ ES_GROUP={{es_group}}
 # Directory where the Elasticsearch binary distribution resides
 ES_HOME={{es_home}}
 
-{% if es_version | version_compare('5.0', '<') %}
-# Heap size defaults to 256m min, 1g max
-# Set ES_HEAP_SIZE to 50% of available RAM, but no more than 31g
-#ES_HEAP_SIZE=2g
-{% endif %}
-
-# Heap new generation
-#ES_HEAP_NEWSIZE=
-
-# max direct memory
-#ES_DIRECT_SIZE=
-
-# Additional Java OPTS
-#ES_JAVA_OPTS=
-
 # Maximum number of open files
-MAX_OPEN_FILES=65535
+{% if es_max_open_files is defined %}
+MAX_OPEN_FILES={{es_max_open_files}}
+{% endif %}
 
 # Maximum amount of locked memory
 #MAX_LOCKED_MEMORY=
+{% if m_lock_enabled %}
+MAX_LOCKED_MEMORY=unlimited
+{% endif %}
 
 # Elasticsearch log directory
 LOG_DIR={{log_dir}}
@@ -82,10 +62,9 @@ DATA_DIR={{ data_dirs | array_to_str }}
 CONF_DIR={{conf_dir}}
 
 # Maximum number of VMA (Virtual Memory Areas) a process can own
-MAX_MAP_COUNT=262144
-
-# Path to the GC log file
-#ES_GC_LOG_FILE=/var/log/elasticsearch/gc.log
+{% if es_max_map_count is defined %}
+MAX_MAP_COUNT={{es_max_map_count}}
+{% endif %}
 
 # Elasticsearch PID file directory
 PID_DIR={{pid_dir}}
@@ -106,21 +85,18 @@ fi
 # Define other required variables
 PID_FILE="$PID_DIR/$NAME.pid"
 DAEMON={{es_home}}/bin/elasticsearch
-{% if es_version | version_compare('5.0', '<') %}
-DAEMON_OPTS="-d -p $PID_FILE --default.path.home=$ES_HOME --default.path.logs=$LOG_DIR --default.path.data=$DATA_DIR --default.path.conf=$CONF_DIR"
-{% else %}
 DAEMON_OPTS="-d -p $PID_FILE -Edefault.path.home=$ES_HOME -Edefault.path.logs=$LOG_DIR -Edefault.path.data=$DATA_DIR -Edefault.path.conf=$CONF_DIR"
-{% endif %}
 
-export ES_HEAP_SIZE
-export ES_HEAP_NEWSIZE
-export ES_DIRECT_SIZE
 export ES_JAVA_OPTS
-export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
 export JAVA_HOME
+export ES_INCLUDE
+export ES_JVM_OPTIONS
 
 # Check DAEMON exists
-test -x $DAEMON || exit 0
+if [ ! -x "$DAEMON" ]; then
+        echo "The elasticsearch startup script does not exists or it is not executable, tried: $DAEMON"
+        exit 1
+fi
 
 checkJava() {
 	if [ -x "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" ]; then