diff --git a/roles/synapse/README.md b/roles/synapse/README.md
index 054bc56..e1f0759 100644
--- a/roles/synapse/README.md
+++ b/roles/synapse/README.md
@@ -20,10 +20,7 @@ The following variables need to be populated:
 
 - `docker`
 - `podman`
+- `venv` - Python virtual env supervised with `systemd`
 
 Set `synapse_deployment_method` to one of the supported deployment methods.
 The current default is `docker`.
-
-### Planned deployment methods
-
-- `venv` - Python virtual env supervised with `systemd`
diff --git a/roles/synapse/defaults/main/main.yml b/roles/synapse/defaults/main/main.yml
index ccfaf6a..b85f879 100644
--- a/roles/synapse/defaults/main/main.yml
+++ b/roles/synapse/defaults/main/main.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ synapse_data_path: "{{ synapse_base_path }}/data"
 synapse_media_store_path: "{{ synapse_data_path }}/media_store"
 synapse_log_path: "/var/log/synapse"
 synapse_homeserver_log_path: "{{ synapse_log_path }}/homeserver.log"
+synapse_venv_path: "{{ synapse_base_path }}/venv"
 
 synapse_signing_key: ~
 synapse_signing_key_file: >-
diff --git a/roles/synapse/defaults/main/systemd.yml b/roles/synapse/defaults/main/systemd.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c37d3c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/synapse/defaults/main/systemd.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+synapse_systemd_service_name: "synapse.service"
+synapse_systemd_service_directory: /etc/systemd/system
+synapse_systemd_service_file: >-2
+  {{ synapse_systemd_service_directory }}/{{ synapse_systemd_service_name }}
+
+synapse_systemd_service_enabled: >-2
+  {{ (synapse_state == 'present') | bool }}
diff --git a/roles/synapse/defaults/main/virtualenv.yml b/roles/synapse/defaults/main/virtualenv.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..901e427
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/synapse/defaults/main/virtualenv.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+synapse_venv_package:
+  - synapse
+synapse_venv_pip_dependencies:
+  - pip
+  - setuptools
diff --git a/roles/synapse/handlers/main.yml b/roles/synapse/handlers/main.yml
index 926b083..5b7d31c 100644
--- a/roles/synapse/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/roles/synapse/handlers/main.yml
@@ -14,3 +14,8 @@
     state: "{{ synapse_container_state }}"
     force_restart: true
   when: synapse_deployment_method == 'podman'
+
+- name: Ensure systemd units are reloaded
+  listen: systemd-daemon-reload
+  ansible.builtin.systemd:
+    daemon_reload: true
diff --git a/roles/synapse/tasks/deploy-venv.yml b/roles/synapse/tasks/deploy-venv.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9afef3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/synapse/tasks/deploy-venv.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+---
+- name: Ensure directory for virtualenv is {{ synapse_state }}
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: "{{ synapse_venv_path }}"
+    owner: >-2
+      {{ synapse_user_info.uid | default(synapse_user) }}
+    group: >-2
+      {{ synapse_user_info.group | default(synapse_user) }}
+    mode: "{{ synapse_venv_path_mode | default('0755') }}"
+    state: >-
+      {{ (synapse_state == 'present')
+        | ternary('directory', 'absent') }}
+
+- name: Ensure virtual environment is {{ synapse_state }}
+  ansible.builtin.pip:
+    name: "{{ synapse_venv_pip_dependencies }}"
+    virtualenv: "{{ synapse_venv_path }}"
+    virtualenv_python: >-
+      {{ synapse_virtualenv_python_binary
+        | default(ansible_python_interpreter
+          | default(omit, true), true) }}
+    extra_args: "{{ synapse_venv_extra_args }}"
+    state: "{{ synapse_state }}"
+
+- name: Ensure synapse is {{ synapse_state }}
+  ansible.builtin.pip:
+    name: "{{ synapse_venv_package }}"
+    version: "{{ synapse_version }}"
+    state: "{{ synapse_state }}"
+    virtualenv: "{{ synapse_venv_path }}"
+  notify:
+    - synapse-restart
+
+- name: Ensure systemd unit is {{ synapse_state }}
+  ansible.builtin.template:
+    src: "synapse.service.j2"
+    dest: "{{ synapse_systemd_service_file }}"
+  notify:
+    - systemd-daemon-reload
+
+- meta: flush_handlers
+
+- name: Ensure systemd service is {{ synapse_state }}
+  ansible.builtin.systemd:
+    name: "{{ synapse_systemd_service_name }}"
+    state: "{{ synapse_state }}"
+
+- name: Ensure systemd service is {{ synapse_systemd_service_enabled | ternary('enabled', 'disabled') }}
+  ansible.builtin.systemd:
+    name: "{{ synapse_systemd_service_name }}"
+    enabled: "{{ synapse_systemd_service_enabled }}"
diff --git a/roles/synapse/vars/main.yml b/roles/synapse/vars/main.yml
index ff16b4a..58580e8 100644
--- a/roles/synapse/vars/main.yml
+++ b/roles/synapse/vars/main.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ synapse_states:
 synapse_deployment_methods:
   - docker
   - podman
+  - venv
 
 synapse_required_variables:
   - synapse_domain