diff --git a/misc/init.d/cfengine3.in b/misc/init.d/cfengine3.in
index bb320630a8b..98113d3b2aa 100644
--- a/misc/init.d/cfengine3.in
+++ b/misc/init.d/cfengine3.in
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ fi
 CFEXECD=${CFTEST_CFEXECD:-$PREFIX/bin/cf-execd}
 CFSERVD=${CFTEST_CFSERVD:-$PREFIX/bin/cf-serverd}
 CFMOND=${CFTEST_CFMOND:-$PREFIX/bin/cf-monitord}
+CFREACTORD=${CFTEST_CFREACTORD:-$PREFIX/bin/cf-reactor}
 CFAGENT=${CFTEST_CFAGENT:-$PREFIX/bin/cf-agent}
 
 PIDFILE_TEMPLATE=$PREFIX/%s.pid
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ if [ "$DEBIAN" = "1" ]; then
 else
     DEFAULT=/etc/sysconfig/cfengine3
 fi
+DEFAULT=${CFTEST_DEFAULT:-$DEFAULT}
 
 if [ -f $DEFAULT ]; then
     . $DEFAULT
@@ -121,6 +123,7 @@ else
     RUN_CF_EXECD=1
     RUN_CF_SERVERD=1
     RUN_CF_MONITORD=1
+    RUN_CF_REACTOR=1
 fi
 
 # Check /sbin/startproc for SUSE
@@ -227,7 +230,7 @@ cf_get_matching_pids()
             for pid in $pids; do
                 # If the last character of the cgroup is not the root directory,
                 # then this is a container process.
-                if [ -f /proc/$pid/cgroup ] && sed 's_/\(-\|system\|user\).slice__;s_/user-[0-9]*.slice__;s_/session-[0-9]*.scope__;s_/cfengine3.service__;s_/cf-execd.service__;s_/cf-serverd.service__;s_/cf-monitord.service__' /proc/$pid/cgroup | egrep '[0-9]+:devices:/[^:]' > /dev/null; then
+                if [ -f /proc/$pid/cgroup ] && sed 's_/\(-\|system\|user\).slice__;s_/user-[0-9]*.slice__;s_/session-[0-9]*.scope__;s_/cfengine3.service__;s_/cf-execd.service__;s_/cf-serverd.service__;s_/cf-monitord.service__;s_/cf-reactor.service__' /proc/$pid/cgroup | egrep '[0-9]+:devices:/[^:]' > /dev/null; then
                     if [ $INSIDE_CONTAINER = 1 ]; then
                         echo $pid
                     fi
@@ -501,6 +504,11 @@ cf_start_core_daemons()
     if [ "$RUN_CF_MONITORD" = "1" ]; then
         cf_start_daemon "$CFMOND"
     fi
+
+    # start cf-reactor
+    if [ "$RUN_CF_REACTOR" = "1" ]; then
+        cf_start_daemon "$CFREACTORD"
+    fi
 }
 
 cf_stop_core_daemons()
@@ -549,6 +557,11 @@ cf_stop_core_daemons()
             cf_stop_daemon "$CFMOND" && any_process_present=1
         fi
 
+        # shutdown cf-reactor
+        if [ "$RUN_CF_REACTOR" = "1" ]; then
+            cf_stop_daemon "$CFREACTORD" && any_process_present=1
+        fi
+
         # In case agents were spawned just as we were trying to kill the
         # daemons, try killing those too.
         cf_stop_agents && any_process_present=1
@@ -588,6 +601,14 @@ cf_status_core_daemons()
         fi
     fi
 
+    # status cf-reactor
+    if [ "$RUN_CF_REACTOR" = "1" ]; then
+        cf_status_daemon "$CFREACTORD"
+        if [ "$?" = "3" ]; then
+            cf_status_core_daemons_exit=3
+        fi
+    fi
+
     # Return the exit code
     return $cf_status_core_daemons_exit
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit/init_script_test.sh b/tests/unit/init_script_test.sh
index f105ede55d9..b3defb5904a 100755
--- a/tests/unit/init_script_test.sh
+++ b/tests/unit/init_script_test.sh
@@ -64,7 +64,11 @@ export CFTEST_PREFIX=/tmp/init_script_test.sh.$$
 export CFTEST_CFEXECD=$CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-execd
 export CFTEST_CFSERVD=$CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-serverd
 export CFTEST_CFMOND=$CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-monitord
+export CFTEST_CFREACTORD=$CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-reactor
 export CFTEST_CFAGENT=$CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-agent
+# Don't pick up the host's /etc/default/cfengine3 or /etc/sysconfig/cfengine3.
+# The file is never created, so the init script's built-in defaults apply.
+export CFTEST_DEFAULT=$CFTEST_PREFIX/cfengine3
 export OUTFILE=$CFTEST_PREFIX/outfile
 
 rm -rf $CFTEST_PREFIX
@@ -94,6 +98,7 @@ set -e
 cp init_script_test_helper $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-execd
 cp init_script_test_helper $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-serverd
 cp init_script_test_helper $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-monitord
+cp init_script_test_helper $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-reactor
 cp init_script_test_helper $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-agent
 
 touch $CFTEST_PREFIX/inputs/promises.cf
@@ -150,6 +155,7 @@ verify_none_running()
     no_matching_pid_exists $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-execd
     no_matching_pid_exists $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-serverd
     no_matching_pid_exists $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-monitord
+    no_matching_pid_exists $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-reactor
     no_matching_pid_exists $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-agent
     )
 }
@@ -172,6 +178,7 @@ echo "TEST: Normal starting"
 matching_pid_exists $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-execd
 matching_pid_exists $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-serverd
 matching_pid_exists $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-monitord
+matching_pid_exists $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-reactor
 
 echo "TEST: Normal stopping"
 ../../misc/init.d/cfengine3 stop
@@ -184,6 +191,9 @@ verify_none_running
 $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-monitord
 ../../misc/init.d/cfengine3 stop
 verify_none_running
+$CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-reactor
+../../misc/init.d/cfengine3 stop
+verify_none_running
 
 echo "TEST: Stopping daemons and agents"
 $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-execd --spawn-process $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin cf-test-agent
@@ -302,7 +312,7 @@ verify_none_running
 $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-execd
 ../../misc/init.d/cfengine3 status  >  $OUTFILE  \
     && retcode=$? || retcode=$?
-for i in cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord
+for i in cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord cf-test-reactor
 do
     cat $OUTFILE | grep "$i.*is not running"
 done
@@ -314,9 +324,10 @@ test $retcode = 3
 echo "TEST: Verify that status of all daemons works"
 $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-serverd
 $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-monitord
+$CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-reactor
 ../../misc/init.d/cfengine3 status  >  $OUTFILE  \
     && retcode=$? || retcode=$?
-for i in cf-test-execd cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord
+for i in cf-test-execd cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord cf-test-reactor
 do
     cat $OUTFILE | egrep "$i.*(\.|is )running"
 done
@@ -329,7 +340,7 @@ echo "TEST: Verify that status of no daemons works"
 verify_none_running
 ../../misc/init.d/cfengine3 status  >  $OUTFILE  \
     && retcode=$? || retcode=$?
-for i in cf-test-execd cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord
+for i in cf-test-execd cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord cf-test-reactor
 do
     cat $OUTFILE | grep "$i.*is not running"
 done
@@ -344,7 +355,7 @@ $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-execd
 $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-execd
 ../../misc/init.d/cfengine3 status  >  $OUTFILE  \
     && retcode=$? || retcode=$?
-for i in cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord
+for i in cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord cf-test-reactor
 do
     cat $OUTFILE | grep "$i.*is not running"
 done
@@ -359,7 +370,7 @@ $CFTEST_PREFIX/bin/cf-test-execd
 echo 9999999 > $CFTEST_PREFIX/cf-test-execd.pid
 ../../misc/init.d/cfengine3 status  >  $OUTFILE  \
     && retcode=$? || retcode=$?
-for i in cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord
+for i in cf-test-serverd cf-test-monitord cf-test-reactor
 do
     cat $OUTFILE | grep "$i.*is not running"
 done