diff --git a/redhat/apache-cassandra.spec b/redhat/apache-cassandra.spec
index d23ab58cd7..a215b7905a 100644
--- a/redhat/apache-cassandra.spec
+++ b/redhat/apache-cassandra.spec
@@ -51,11 +51,15 @@ mkdir -p %{buildroot}/usr/share/%{username}/lib
 mkdir -p %{buildroot}/usr/share/%{username}/default.conf
 mkdir -p %{buildroot}/etc/%{username}/default.conf
 mkdir -p %{buildroot}/etc/rc.d/init.d/
+mkdir -p %{buildroot}/etc/security/limits.d/
+mkdir -p %{buildroot}/etc/default/
 mkdir -p %{buildroot}/usr/sbin
 mkdir -p %{buildroot}/usr/bin
 cp -p conf/* %{buildroot}/etc/%{username}/default.conf
 cp -p conf/* %{buildroot}/usr/share/%{username}/default.conf
 cp -p redhat/%{username} %{buildroot}/etc/rc.d/init.d/
+cp -p redhat/%{username}.conf %{buildroot}/etc/security/limits.d/
+cp -p redhat/default %{buildroot}/etc/default/%{username}
 cp -p lib/*.jar %{buildroot}/usr/share/%{username}/lib
 mv redhat/cassandra.in.sh %{buildroot}/usr/share/%{username}
 rm bin/cassandra.in.sh
@@ -90,6 +94,8 @@ fi
 %attr(755,root,root) %{_bindir}/*
 %attr(755,root,root) %{_sbindir}/cassandra
 %attr(755,root,root) /etc/rc.d/init.d/%{username}
+%attr(755,root,root) /etc/default/%{username}
+%attr(755,root,root) /etc/security/limits.d/%{username}.conf
 %attr(755,%{username},%{username}) /usr/share/%{username}*
 %attr(755,%{username},%{username}) %config(noreplace) /%{_sysconfdir}/%{username}
 %attr(755,%{username},%{username}) %config(noreplace) /var/lib/%{username}/*
diff --git a/redhat/cassandra b/redhat/cassandra
index 80b7c48a5d..83d5e0deea 100644
--- a/redhat/cassandra
+++ b/redhat/cassandra
@@ -14,10 +14,13 @@ export CASSANDRA_HOME=/usr/share/cassandra/
 export CASSANDRA_INCLUDE=/usr/share/cassandra/cassandra.in.sh
 export CASSANDRA_CONF=/etc/cassandra/conf
 export CASSANDRA_OWNR=cassandra
+NAME="cassandra"
 log_file=/var/log/cassandra/cassandra.log
 pid_file=/var/run/cassandra/cassandra.pid
 CASSANDRA_PROG=/usr/sbin/cassandra
 
+# Read configuration variable file if it is present
+[ -r /etc/default/$NAME ] && . /etc/default/$NAME
 
 case "$1" in
     start)
diff --git a/redhat/cassandra.conf b/redhat/cassandra.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d8e680a703
--- /dev/null
+++ b/redhat/cassandra.conf
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+cassandra   -   memlock     unlimited
diff --git a/redhat/cassandra.in.sh b/redhat/cassandra.in.sh
index e03251dfeb..49b90e74d0 100644
--- a/redhat/cassandra.in.sh
+++ b/redhat/cassandra.in.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 # The directory where Cassandra's configs live (required)
 CASSANDRA_CONF=/etc/cassandra/conf
 
+# use JNA if installed in standard location
+[ -r /usr/share/java/jna.jar ] && CLASSPATH="$CLASSPATH:/usr/share/java/jna.jar"
+
 # The java classpath (required)
 CLASSPATH=$CLASSPATH:$CASSANDRA_CONF
 
diff --git a/redhat/default b/redhat/default
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b56a980fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/redhat/default
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# NOTICE: See also /etc/cassandra/cassandra-env.sh
+
+# EXTRA_CLASSPATH provides the means to extend Cassandra's classpath with
+# additional libraries.  It is formatted as a colon-delimited list of
+# class directories and/or jar files.  For example, to enable the
+# JMX-to-web bridge install libmx4j-java and uncomment the following.
+#EXTRA_CLASSPATH="/usr/share/java/mx4j-tools.jar"