diff --git a/tasks/mysqld_exporter.yml b/tasks/mysqld_exporter.yml
index 13de1f3..b8df914 100644
--- a/tasks/mysqld_exporter.yml
+++ b/tasks/mysqld_exporter.yml
@@ -42,25 +42,13 @@
     enabled: yes
     name: prometheus-mysqld-exporter.service
 
-- name: 'prometheus | mysqld exporter | create configuration directory'
-  file:
-    path: /var/lib/prometheus
-    state: directory
-    mode: '0755'
-  tags:
-    - prometheus
-
 - name: 'prometheus | mysqld exporter | configuration'
-  copy:
-    dest: '/var/lib/prometheus/.my.cnf'
+  template:
+    src: conf/prometheus-mysqld-exporter.j2
+    dest: /etc/default/prometheus-mysqld-exporter
     owner: root
     group: root
-    mode: 0644
-    backup: yes
-    content: |
-      [client]
-      user={{ prometheus_mysqld_exporter_user }}
-      password={{ prometheus_mysqld_exporter_password }}
+    mode: 0600
   when:
     - prometheus_mysqld_exporter_user is defined
   register: prometheus_mysqld_exporter_configuration
diff --git a/templates/conf/prometheus-mysqld-exporter.j2 b/templates/conf/prometheus-mysqld-exporter.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f04d436
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/conf/prometheus-mysqld-exporter.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# {{ ansible_managed }}
+[client]
+user={{ prometheus_mysqld_exporter_user }}
+password={{ prometheus_mysqld_exporter_password }}
diff --git a/templates/systemd/prometheus-mysqld-exporter.service.j2 b/templates/systemd/prometheus-mysqld-exporter.service.j2
index bfee56c..1246bc8 100644
--- a/templates/systemd/prometheus-mysqld-exporter.service.j2
+++ b/templates/systemd/prometheus-mysqld-exporter.service.j2
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ After=network.target
 [Service]
 Type=simple
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/prometheus-mysqld-exporter \
---config.my-cnf /var/lib/prometheus/.my.cnf \
+--config.my-cnf /etc/default/prometheus-mysqld-exporter \
 --collect.global_status \
 --collect.info_schema.innodb_metrics \
 --collect.auto_increment.columns \