diff --git a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_ntp_setup b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_ntp_setup
index 155c5d96e3..62cc746103 100755
--- a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_ntp_setup
+++ b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_ntp_setup
@@ -29,6 +29,30 @@ import shutil
 
 from scylla_util import *
 from subprocess import run
+from pathlib import Path
+
+def get_chrony_unit():
+    try:
+        unit = systemd_unit('chronyd')
+    except:
+        unit = systemd_unit('chrony')
+    return unit
+
+def get_chrony_conf():
+    p = Path('/etc/chrony/chrony.conf')
+    if p.exists():
+        return p
+    p = Path('/etc/chrony.conf')
+    if p.exists():
+        return p
+    raise FileNotFoundError('chrony.conf not found')
+
+def get_ntp_unit():
+    try:
+        unit = systemd_unit('ntpd')
+    except:
+        unit = systemd_unit('ntp')
+    return unit
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     if os.getuid() > 0:
@@ -40,29 +64,69 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
                         help='specify subdomain of pool.ntp.org (ex: centos, fedora or amazon)')
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
-    # use systemd-timesyncd
-    if systemd_unit.available('systemd-timesyncd'):
+    target = None
+    if os.path.exists('/lib/systemd/systemd-timesyncd'):
+        if systemd_unit('systemd-timesyncd').is_active():
+            print('ntp is already configured, skip setup')
+            sys.exit(0)
+        target = 'systemd-timesyncd'
+    if shutil.which('chronyd'):
+        if get_chrony_unit().is_active():
+            print('ntp is already configured, skip setup')
+            sys.exit(0)
+        if not target:
+            target = 'chrony'
+    if shutil.which('ntpd'):
+        if get_ntp_unit().is_active():
+            print('ntp is already configured, skip setup')
+            sys.exit(0)
+        if not target:
+            target = 'ntp'
+    if not target:
+        if is_redhat_variant():
+            target = 'chrony'
+        else:
+            target = 'systemd-timesyncd'
+
+    print(f'Use {target} to configure ntp')
+    if target == 'systemd-timesyncd':
+        if not os.path.exists('/lib/systemd/systemd-timesyncd'):
+            # On some distribution, systemd-timesyncd is part of systemd package,
+            # but we can ignore it since systemd must be installed by default.
+            pkg_install('systemd-timesyncd')
         run('timedatectl set-ntp true', shell=True, check=True)
-    # use chrony
-    else:
-        if shutil.which('ntpd'):
-            pkg_uninstall('ntp')
+    elif target == 'chrony':
         if not shutil.which('chronyd'):
             pkg_install('chrony')
-        if is_debian_variant():
-            confpath = '/etc/chrony/chrony.conf'
-            chronyd = 'chrony.service'
-        else:
-            confpath = '/etc/chrony.conf'
-            chronyd = 'chronyd.service'
-        with open(confpath) as f:
+        confp = get_chrony_conf()
+        with confp.open() as f:
             conf = f.read()
         if args.subdomain:
             conf2 = re.sub(r'pool\s+([0-9]+)\.(\S+)\.pool\.ntp\.org', 'pool \\1.{}.pool.ntp.org'.format(args.subdomain), conf, flags=re.MULTILINE)
-            with open(confpath, 'w') as f:
+            with confp.open(confpath, 'w') as f:
                 f.write(conf2)
             conf = conf2
-        chronyd = systemd_unit(chronyd)
+        chronyd = get_chrony_unit()
         chronyd.enable()
         chronyd.restart()
         run('chronyc -a makestep', shell=True, check=True)
+    elif target == 'ntp':
+        if not shutil.which('ntpd'):
+            pkg_install('ntp')
+        if not shutil.which('ntpdate'):
+            pkg_install('ntpdate')
+        confp = Path('/etc/ntp.conf')
+        with confp.open() as f:
+            conf = f.read()
+        if args.subdomain:
+            conf2 = re.sub(r'(server|pool)\s+([0-9]+)\.(\S+)\.pool\.ntp\.org', '\\1 \\2.{}.pool.ntp.org'.format(args.subdomain), conf, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+            with confp.open(confpath, 'w') as f:
+                f.write(conf2)
+            conf = conf2
+        match = re.search(r'^(server|pool)\s+(\S*)(\s+\S+)?', conf, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+        server = match.group(2)
+        ntpd = get_ntpd_unit()
+        ntpd.stop()
+        run(f'ntpdate {server}', shell=True, check=True)
+        ntpd.enable()
+        ntpd.start()
diff --git a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_util.py b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_util.py
index da4b752ea4..05be6bf905 100644
--- a/dist/common/scripts/scylla_util.py
+++ b/dist/common/scripts/scylla_util.py
@@ -802,7 +802,7 @@ class systemd_unit:
         return run('systemctl {} disable {}'.format(self.ctlparam, self._unit), shell=True, check=True)
 
     def is_active(self):
-        return run('systemctl {} is-active {}'.format(self.ctlparam, self._unit), shell=True, capture_output=True, encoding='utf-8').stdout.strip()
+        return True if run('systemctl {} is-active {}'.format(self.ctlparam, self._unit), shell=True, capture_output=True, encoding='utf-8').stdout.strip() == 'active' else False
 
     def mask(self):
         return run('systemctl {} mask {}'.format(self.ctlparam, self._unit), shell=True, check=True)