diff --git a/roles/base/defaults/main.yml b/roles/base/defaults/main.yml
index 1badc57..f1ae7cc 100644
--- a/roles/base/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/base/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-grub_cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS{{ grub.serial_console[cluster_hardware].console }},115200"
+grub_cmdline: "console=tty0 console=ttyS{{ grub.serial_console[cluster_hardware].console }},115200 plymouth.ignore-serial-consoles splash"
 grub_serial: "serial --unit={{ grub.serial_console[cluster_hardware].console }} --speed=115200"
 
 deploy_username: "deploy"
diff --git a/roles/base/files/usr/share/grub-pvc/background.png b/roles/base/files/usr/share/grub-pvc/background.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0be35ee
Binary files /dev/null and b/roles/base/files/usr/share/grub-pvc/background.png differ
diff --git a/roles/base/files/usr/share/grub-pvc/background.xcf b/roles/base/files/usr/share/grub-pvc/background.xcf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce0d70c
Binary files /dev/null and b/roles/base/files/usr/share/grub-pvc/background.xcf differ
diff --git a/roles/base/files/usr/share/grub-pvc/theme.txt b/roles/base/files/usr/share/grub-pvc/theme.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b5b5f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/base/files/usr/share/grub-pvc/theme.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+title-text: ""
+desktop-image: "/usr/share/grub-pvc/background.png"
+terminal-border: "360"
+terminal-left: "360"
+terminal-top: "300"
+terminal-width: "256"
+terminal-height: "192"
++ boot_menu {
+		top = 40%
+        left = 24%
+        width = 60%
+		height = 20%
+		item_color = "#AAAAAA"
+		selected_item_color = "#FFFFFF"
+        item_spacing = 1
+}
++ progress_bar {
+        id = "__timeout__"
+        top = 90%
+        left = 30%
+        width = 40%
+        height = 1
+        bg_color = "#000000"
+        fg_color = "#4444DD"
+}
diff --git a/roles/base/files/usr/share/plymouth/themes/pvc.tar b/roles/base/files/usr/share/plymouth/themes/pvc.tar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9dc9529
Binary files /dev/null and b/roles/base/files/usr/share/plymouth/themes/pvc.tar differ
diff --git a/roles/base/tasks/main.yml b/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
index fb9963b..263d1b8 100644
--- a/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/base/tasks/main.yml
@@ -16,16 +16,18 @@
   tags: always
 
 #
-# Set codename
+# Set Debian details
 #
-- name: set release codename (with ansible_distribution_release)
+- name: set Debian details (with ansible_distribution_*)
   set_fact:
+    debian_version: "{{ ansible_distribution_major_version }}"
     debian_codename: "{{ ansible_distribution_release }}"
   when: ansible_distribution_release is defined
   tags: always
 
-- name: set release codename (with ansible_lsb)
+- name: set Debian details (with ansible_lsb)
   set_fact:
+    debian_version: "{{ ansible_lsb.major_version }}"
     debian_codename: "{{ ansible_lsb.codename }}"
   when: ansible_lsb.codename is defined
   tags: always
@@ -231,6 +233,8 @@
       - haveged
       - ipmitool
       - grub-efi
+      - plymouth
+      - plymouth-themes
       - linux-image-amd64
       - linux-headers-amd64
   tags: base-packages
@@ -326,6 +330,50 @@
     - { src: "etc/dhcp/dhclient-enter-hooks.d/noresolv.j2", dest: "/etc/dhcp/dhclient-enter-hooks.d/noresolv" }
   tags: base-dns
 
+# GRUB bootloader
+- name: create PVC grub directory
+  file:
+    state: directory
+    dest: "/usr/share/grub-pvc"
+
+- name: install PVC grub style
+  copy:
+    src: "usr/share/grub-pvc/{{ item }}"
+    dest: "/usr/share/grub-pvc/{{ item }}"
+  with_items:
+    - background.png
+    - theme.txt
+
+- name: install GRUB configuration
+  template:
+    src: etc/default/grub.j2
+    dest: /etc/default/grub
+  notify:
+    - update grub
+
+# Plymouth theme
+- name: install PVC Plymouth theme archive
+  unarchive:
+    src: "usr/share/plymouth/themes/pvc.tar"
+    dest: "/usr/share/plymouth/themes/"
+    creates: "/usr/share/plymouth/themes/pvc"
+    owner: root
+    group: root
+
+- name: install PVC Plymouth background file
+  copy:
+    src: "usr/share/grub-pvc/background.png"
+    dest: "/usr/share/plymouth/themes/pvc/background-tile.png"
+
+- name: set PVC Plymouth theme as the default
+  command: plymouth-set-default-theme -R pvc
+
+# issue prompt
+- name: install PVC /etc/issue file
+  template:
+    src: etc/issue.j2
+    dest: /etc/issue
+
 # syslog
 - name: install rsyslog and logrotate configs
   template:
@@ -573,14 +621,6 @@
     - "pvc"
   tags: base-ipmi
 
-# GRUB bootloader
-- name: install GRUB configuration
-  template:
-    src: etc/default/grub.j2
-    dest: /etc/default/grub
-  notify:
-    - update grub
-
 #
 # Configure users
 #
diff --git a/roles/base/templates/etc/default/grub.j2 b/roles/base/templates/etc/default/grub.j2
index a01cc1c..d119a2c 100644
--- a/roles/base/templates/etc/default/grub.j2
+++ b/roles/base/templates/etc/default/grub.j2
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="{{ grub_cmdline }}"
 GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT="console serial"
 GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT="gfxterm serial"
 GRUB_SERIAL_COMMAND="{{ grub_serial }}"
+GRUB_THEME="/usr/share/grub-pvc/theme.txt"
diff --git a/roles/base/templates/etc/issue.j2 b/roles/base/templates/etc/issue.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7f1f4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/base/templates/etc/issue.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Parallel Virtual Cluster node \n \l
+
+Base system: Debian GNU/Linux {{ debian_version }} "{{ debian_codename }}"
+