diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1d618190..a36f9c4f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -259,6 +259,8 @@ systemd::network{'eth0.network':
 
 ### Services
 
+The default target is managed via the `default_target` parameter.  If this is left at its default value (`undef`), the default-target will be unmanaged by puppet.
+
 Systemd provides multiple services. Currently you can manage `systemd-resolved`,
 `systemd-timesyncd`, `systemd-networkd`, `systemd-journald`, `systemd-coredump`
 and `systemd-logind`
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index 297da22a..fb962a8e 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 #
 # @api public
 #
+# @param default_target
+#   The default systemd boot target, unmanaged if set to undef.
+#
 # @param service_limits
 #   May be passed a resource hash suitable for passing directly into the
 #   ``create_resources()`` function as called on ``systemd::service_limits``
@@ -160,6 +163,7 @@
 #   Add --backtrace to systemd-coredump call systemd-coredump@.service unit
 #
 class systemd (
+  Optional[Pattern['^.+\.target$']]                   $default_target = undef,
   Hash[String,String]                                 $accounting = {},
   Hash[String[1],Hash[String[1], Any]]                $service_limits = {},
   Hash[String[1],Hash[String[1], Any]]                $networks = {},
@@ -210,6 +214,20 @@
 ) {
   contain systemd::install
 
+  if $default_target {
+    $target = shell_escape($default_target)
+    service { $target:
+      ensure => 'running',
+      enable => true,
+    }
+
+    exec { "systemctl set-default ${target}":
+      command => "systemctl set-default ${target}",
+      unless  => "test $(systemctl get-default) = ${target}",
+      path    => $facts['path'],
+    }
+  }
+
   $service_limits.each |$service_limit, $service_limit_data| {
     systemd::service_limits { $service_limit:
       * => $service_limit_data,
diff --git a/spec/classes/init_spec.rb b/spec/classes/init_spec.rb
index 9a9726b6..aa3f83d3 100644
--- a/spec/classes/init_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/init_spec.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
         it { is_expected.not_to create_service('systemd-timesyncd') }
         it { is_expected.not_to contain_package('systemd-resolved') }
         it { is_expected.not_to contain_class('systemd::coredump') }
+        it { is_expected.not_to contain_exec('systemctl set-default multi-user.target') }
 
         context 'when enabling resolved and networkd' do
           let(:params) do
@@ -181,6 +182,17 @@
           }
         end
 
+        context 'with alternate target' do
+          let(:params) do
+            {
+              default_target: 'example.target',
+            }
+          end
+
+          it { is_expected.to contain_exec('systemctl set-default example.target') }
+          it { is_expected.to contain_service('example.target').with_enable(true).with_ensure('running') }
+        end
+
         context 'when enabling timesyncd' do
           let(:params) do
             {