diff --git a/scripts/README.md b/scripts/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ca406f4d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# Periphery setup script
+
+There's two ways to install periphery: `System` and `User`
+
+## System (requires sudo)
+
+```sh
+curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mbecker20/monitor/main/scripts/setup-periphery.py | python3
+```
+Install paths:
+- periphery (binary) -> `/usr/local/bin/periphery`
+- periphery.service -> `/etc/systemd/system/periphery.service`
+- periphery.config.toml -> `/etc/monitor/periphery.config.toml`
+
+## User
+
+```sh
+curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mbecker20/monitor/main/scripts/setup-periphery.py | python3 - --user
+```
+
+Install paths:
+- periphery (binary) -> $HOME/.local/bin
+- periphery.service -> $HOME/.config/systemd/user/periphery.service
+- periphery.config.toml -> $HOME/.config/monitor/periphery.config.toml
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/setup-periphery.py b/scripts/setup-periphery.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..53e5f1046
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/setup-periphery.py
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+import sys
+import os
+
+def load_version():
+	version = "v1.0.0"
+	for arg in sys.argv:
+		if arg.count("--version") > 0:
+			version = arg.split("=")[1]
+	return version
+
+def load_paths():
+	# Checks if setup.py is passed --user arg
+	user_install = sys.argv.count("--user") > 0
+	if user_install:
+		home_dir = os.environ['HOME']
+		return [
+			user_install,
+			# binary location
+			f'{home_dir}/.local/bin',
+			# config location
+	 		f'{home_dir}/.config/monitor',
+			# service file location
+	 		f'{home_dir}/.config/systemd/user',
+		]
+	else:
+		return [
+			user_install,
+			# binary location
+			"/usr/local/bin",
+			# config location
+	 		"/etc/monitor"
+			# service file location
+	 		"/etc/systemd/system",
+		]
+
+def copy_binary(user_install, bin_dir, version):
+	# stop periphery in case its currently in use
+	user = ""
+	if user_install:
+		user = " --user"
+	os.popen(f'systemctl{user} stop periphery')
+
+	# ensure bin_dir exists
+	if not os.path.isdir(bin_dir):
+		os.makedirs(bin_dir)
+
+	print(os.popen(f'curl --location https://github.com/mbecker20/monitor/releases/download/{version}/periphery > {bin_dir}/periphery').read())
+	os.popen(f'chmod +x {bin_dir}/periphery')
+
+def copy_config(config_dir):
+	config_file = f'{config_dir}/periphery.config.toml'
+
+	# early return if config file already exists
+	if os.path.isfile(config_file):
+		print("config already exists, skipping...")
+		return
+	
+	print(f'creating config at {config_file}')
+
+	# ensure config dir exists
+	if not os.path.isdir(config_dir):
+		os.makedirs(config_dir)
+
+	print(os.popen(f'curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mbecker20/monitor/main/config_example/periphery.config.example.toml > {config_dir}/periphery.config.toml').read())
+
+def copy_service_file(bin_dir, config_dir, service_dir):
+	service_file = f'{service_dir}/periphery.service'
+
+	# early return is service file already exists
+	if os.path.isfile(service_file):
+		print("service file already exists, skipping...")
+		return
+	
+	print(f'creating service file at {service_file}')
+	
+	# ensure service_dir exists
+	if not os.path.isdir(service_dir):
+		os.makedirs(service_dir)
+
+	f = open(service_file, "x")
+	f.write((
+		"[Unit]\n"
+		"Description=agent to connect with monitor core\n"
+		"\n"
+		"[Service]\n"
+		f'ExecStart={bin_dir}/periphery --config-path {config_dir}/periphery.config.toml\n'
+		"Restart=on-failure\n"
+		"TimeoutStartSec=0\n"
+		"\n"
+		"[Install]\n"
+		"WantedBy=default.target"
+	))
+	
+def main():
+	version = load_version()
+	[user_install, bin_dir, config_dir, service_dir] = load_paths()
+ 
+	print(f'user install: {user_install}')
+	print(f'bin dir: {bin_dir}')
+	print(f'config dir: {config_dir}')
+	print(f'service file dir: {service_dir}')
+
+	copy_binary(user_install, bin_dir, version)
+	copy_config(config_dir)
+	copy_service_file(bin_dir, config_dir, service_dir)
+
+	user = ""
+	if user_install:
+		user = " --user"
+
+	print("starting periphery...")
+	print(os.popen(f'systemctl{user} start periphery').read())
+
+	print("Finished periphery setup.\n")
+	print(f'Note. Use "systemctl{user} status periphery" to make sure periphery is running')
+	print(f'Note. Use "systemctl{user} enable periphery" to have periphery start on system boot')
+
+main()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/setup-periphery.sh b/scripts/setup-periphery.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 4b39d73fe..000000000
--- a/scripts/setup-periphery.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-BIN_PATH=$HOME/.monitor/bin
-mkdir -p $BIN_PATH
-
-echo "\ndownloading monitor periphery...\n"
-systemctl --user stop periphery # in case its currently in use
-curl -L https://github.com/mbecker20/monitor/releases/download/v1.0.0.next/periphery > $BIN_PATH/periphery
-chmod +x $BIN_PATH/periphery
-
-# this adds $HOME/.monitor/bin to path
-if ! grep ".monitor/bin" $HOME/.bashrc > /dev/null; then
-	echo "" >> $HOME/.bashrc
-	echo "export PATH=$HOME/.monitor/bin:\$PATH" >> ~/.bashrc
-fi
-
-export PATH="$HOME/.monitor/bin:$PATH"
-
-if ! test -f "$HOME/.monitor/periphery.config.toml"; then
-	monitor periphery gen-config
-fi
-
-if pgrep periphery > /dev/null; then
-	systemctl --user restart periphery
-else
-	monitor periphery start systemd --yes
-fi