diff --git a/manifests/ovs.pp b/manifests/ovs.pp
index 04a92b1a..09550507 100644
--- a/manifests/ovs.pp
+++ b/manifests/ovs.pp
@@ -47,29 +47,6 @@ class vswitch::ovs(
         }
       }
 
-      case $::operatingsystem {
-        'Ubuntu': {
-          # ubuntu 16.04 doesn't have upstart
-          # this workaround should be removed when https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/openvswitch/+bug/1585201
-          # will be resolved
-          if versioncmp($::operatingsystemmajrelease, '16') >= 0 {
-            $ovs_status = '/etc/init.d/openvswitch-switch status | fgrep -q "not running"; if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then exit 1; else exit 0; fi'
-          } else {
-            $ovs_status = '/sbin/status openvswitch-switch | fgrep "start/running"'
-          }
-        }
-        default: {
-          $ovs_status = '/etc/init.d/openvswitch-switch status | fgrep -q "not running"; if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then exit 1; else exit 0; fi'
-        }
-      }
-      service { 'openvswitch':
-        ensure    => true,
-        enable    => true,
-        name      => $::vswitch::params::ovs_service_name,
-        hasstatus => false, # the supplied command returns true even if it's not running
-        status    => $ovs_status,
-      }
-
       if $::ovs_version {
         $major_version = regsubst($::ovs_version, '^(\d+).*', '\1')
         if $major_version == '1' {
@@ -80,51 +57,35 @@ class vswitch::ovs(
       }
 
     }
-    'Redhat': {
-      service { 'openvswitch':
-        ensure => true,
-        enable => true,
-        name   => $::vswitch::params::ovs_service_name,
-      }
-    }
     'FreeBSD': {
       Package {
         provider => 'pkgng',
       }
-      service { 'ovsdb-server':
-        ensure => true,
-        enable => true,
-        name   => $::vswitch::params::ovsdb_service_name,
-        status => $::vswitch::params::ovsdb_status,
-      }
-      ~>
-      service { 'openvswitch':
-        ensure => true,
-        enable => true,
-        name   => $::vswitch::params::ovs_service_name,
-        status => $::vswitch::params::ovs_status,
-      }
-    }
-    'Solaris': {
-      service { 'ovsdb-server':
-        ensure => true,
-        enable => true,
-        name   => $::vswitch::params::ovsdb_service_name,
-        status => $::vswitch::params::ovsdb_status,
-      }
-      ~>
-      service { 'openvswitch':
-        ensure => true,
-        enable => true,
-        name   => $::vswitch::params::ovs_service_name,
-        status => $::vswitch::params::ovs_status,
-      }
     }
     default: {
-      fail( "${::osfamily} not yet supported by puppet-vswitch")
+      # to appease the lint gods.
     }
   }
 
+  service { 'openvswitch':
+    ensure    => true,
+    enable    => true,
+    name      => $::vswitch::params::ovs_service_name,
+    status    => $::vswitch::params::ovs_status,
+    hasstatus => $::vswitch::params::ovs_service_hasstatus
+  }
+
+  if $::vswitch::params::ovsdb_service_name {
+    service { 'ovsdb-server':
+      ensure => true,
+      enable => true,
+      name   => $::vswitch::params::ovsdb_service_name,
+      status => $::vswitch::params::ovsdb_status,
+    }
+
+    Service['ovsdb-server'] ~> Service['openvswitch']
+  }
+
   package { $::vswitch::params::ovs_package_name:
     ensure => $package_ensure,
     before => Service['openvswitch'],
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index 847a1a5e..8750224e 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -25,6 +25,30 @@ class vswitch::params {
       $ovs_dkms_package_name = 'openvswitch-datapath-dkms'
       $ovs_service_name      = 'openvswitch-switch'
       $provider              = 'ovs'
+      case $::operatingsystem {
+        'ubuntu': {
+          # ubuntu 16.04 doesn't have upstart
+          # this workaround should be removed when https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/openvswitch/+bug/1585201
+          # will be resolved
+          if versioncmp($::operatingsystemmajrelease, '16') >= 0 {
+            $ovs_status = '/etc/init.d/openvswitch-switch status | fgrep -q "not running"; if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then exit 1; else exit 0; fi'
+          } else {
+            $ovs_status = '/sbin/status openvswitch-switch | fgrep "start/running"'
+          }
+          $ovs_service_hasstatus = false
+        }
+        'debian': {
+          if ($::lsbdistcodename == 'wheezy') {
+            $ovs_service_hasstatus = false
+            $ovs_status            = '/etc/init.d/openvswitch-switch status | fgrep -q "not running"; if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then exit 1; else exit 0; fi' # lint:ignore:140chars
+          } else {
+            $ovs_service_hasstatus = true
+          }
+        }
+        default: {
+          fail('Unsupported Debian based system')
+        }
+      }
     }
     'FreeBSD': {
       $ovs_package_name      = 'openvswitch'
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/ovs-debian-6eb866a703b1ced5.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/ovs-debian-6eb866a703b1ced5.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35636007
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/ovs-debian-6eb866a703b1ced5.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - Updates to service options for ovs when running under Debian jessie to
+    not restart ovs on each puppet run.
diff --git a/spec/classes/vswitch_ovs_spec.rb b/spec/classes/vswitch_ovs_spec.rb
index a717d109..2a029395 100644
--- a/spec/classes/vswitch_ovs_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/vswitch_ovs_spec.rb
@@ -261,8 +261,7 @@ describe 'vswitch::ovs' do
               :ovs_dkms_package_name => 'openvswitch-datapath-dkms',
               :ovs_service_name      => 'openvswitch-switch',
               :provider              => 'ovs',
-              :service_hasstatus     => false,
-              :service_status        => '/etc/init.d/openvswitch-switch status | fgrep -q "not running"; if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then exit 1; else exit 0; fi',
+              :service_hasstatus     => true,
             }
           elsif facts[:operatingsystem] == 'Ubuntu'
             {