diff --git a/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-config/recipes/nvidia.rb b/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-config/recipes/nvidia.rb
index b5add9a5c7..60a4b6d5a5 100644
--- a/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-config/recipes/nvidia.rb
+++ b/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-config/recipes/nvidia.rb
@@ -35,14 +35,18 @@
     group 'root'
     mode '0644'
   end
-  # Install nvidia_persistenced. See https://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/396.51/README/nvidia-persistenced.html
-  bash 'Install nvidia_persistenced' do
-    cwd '/usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/samples'
-    user 'root'
+
+  # Install ParallelCluster nvidia service.
+  # The service ensures the creation of the block devices /dev/nvidia0 after reboot and it is needed by the slurmd service
+  # cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-slurm/templates/default/slurm/compute/slurmd_nvidia_persistenced.conf.erb
+  #
+  # The service starts the nvidia-persistenced or run nvidia-smi to avoid race condition with other services
+  template '/etc/systemd/system/parallelcluster_nvidia.service' do
+    source 'nvidia/parallelcluster_nvidia_service.erb'
+    owner 'root'
     group 'root'
-    code <<-NVIDIA
-      tar -xf nvidia-persistenced-init.tar.bz2
-      ./nvidia-persistenced-init/install.sh
-    NVIDIA
+    mode '0644'
+    action :create
+    variables(is_nvidia_persistenced_running: is_process_running('/usr/bin/nvidia-persistenced'))
   end
 end
diff --git a/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-config/templates/default/nvidia/parallelcluster_nvidia_service.erb b/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-config/templates/default/nvidia/parallelcluster_nvidia_service.erb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b6f9f8b59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-config/templates/default/nvidia/parallelcluster_nvidia_service.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# This systemd service file, designed to trigger the creation device block file /dev/nvidia0
+# The service start nvidia-persistenced if it is not already started or execute the command nvidia-smi.
+
+[Unit]
+Description=ParallelCluster NVIDIA Daemon
+Wants=syslog.target
+
+[Service]
+<% if is_nvidia_persistenced_running -%>
+Type=simple
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/nvidia-smi
+RemainAfterExit=yes
+<% else %>
+Type=forking
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/nvidia-persistenced --user root
+ExecStopPost=/bin/rm -rf /var/run/nvidia-persistenced
+<% end %>
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-slurm/templates/default/slurm/compute/slurmd_nvidia_persistenced.conf.erb b/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-slurm/templates/default/slurm/compute/slurmd_nvidia_persistenced.conf.erb
index 1ee8c068af..c75067d1d5 100644
--- a/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-slurm/templates/default/slurm/compute/slurmd_nvidia_persistenced.conf.erb
+++ b/cookbooks/aws-parallelcluster-slurm/templates/default/slurm/compute/slurmd_nvidia_persistenced.conf.erb
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [Unit]
-After=nvidia-persistenced.service
-Wants=nvidia-persistenced.service
+After=parallelcluster_nvidia.service
+Wants=parallelcluster_nvidia.service
diff --git a/libraries/helpers.rb b/libraries/helpers.rb
index f1e622d13b..9048dc319d 100644
--- a/libraries/helpers.rb
+++ b/libraries/helpers.rb
@@ -129,6 +129,16 @@ def ignore_failure(lookup)
   end
 end
 
+#
+# Check if a process is running
+#
+def is_process_running(process_name)
+  ps = Mixlib::ShellOut.new("ps aux | grep '#{process_name}' | grep -v \"grep #{process_name}\"")
+  ps.run_command
+
+  !ps.stdout.strip.empty?
+end
+
 #
 # Check if the instance has a GPU
 #