diff --git a/cmd/helm/create_test.go b/cmd/helm/create_test.go
index c9459b477..20bace864 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/create_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/create_test.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func TestCreateStarterCmd(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Wrong API version: %q", c.Metadata.ApiVersion)
 	}
 
-	expectedTemplateCount := 7
+	expectedTemplateCount := 8
 	if l := len(c.Templates); l != expectedTemplateCount {
 		t.Errorf("Expected %d templates, got %d", expectedTemplateCount, l)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/chartutil/create.go b/pkg/chartutil/create.go
index 0a68856e2..6828ae902 100644
--- a/pkg/chartutil/create.go
+++ b/pkg/chartutil/create.go
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ const (
 	DeploymentName = "deployment.yaml"
 	// ServiceName is the name of the example service file.
 	ServiceName = "service.yaml"
+	// ServiceAccountName is the name of the example serviceaccount file.
+	ServiceAccountName = "serviceaccount.yaml"
 	// NotesName is the name of the example NOTES.txt file.
 	NotesName = "NOTES.txt"
 	// HelpersName is the name of the example helpers file.
@@ -67,6 +69,13 @@ imagePullSecrets: []
 nameOverride: ""
 fullnameOverride: ""
 
+serviceAccount:
+  # Specifies whether a service account should be created
+  create: true
+  # The name of the service account to use.
+  # If not set and create is true, a name is generated using the fullname template
+  name:
+
 service:
   type: ClusterIP
   port: 80
@@ -189,6 +198,7 @@ spec:
       imagePullSecrets:
         {{- toYaml . | nindent 8 }}
     {{- end }}
+      serviceAccountName: {{ template "<CHARTNAME>.serviceAccountName" . }}
       containers:
         - name: {{ .Chart.Name }}
           image: "{{ .Values.image.repository }}:{{ .Values.image.tag }}"
@@ -238,6 +248,15 @@ spec:
     app.kubernetes.io/name: {{ include "<CHARTNAME>.name" . }}
     app.kubernetes.io/instance: {{ .Release.Name }}
 `
+const defaultServiceAccount = `{{- if .Values.serviceAccount.create -}}
+apiVersion: v1
+kind: ServiceAccount
+metadata:
+  name: {{ template "<CHARTNAME>.serviceAccountName" . }}
+  labels:
+{{ include "<CHARTNAME>.labels" . | indent 4 }}
+{{- end -}}
+`
 
 const defaultNotes = `1. Get the application URL by running these commands:
 {{- if .Values.ingress.enabled }}
@@ -307,6 +326,17 @@ app.kubernetes.io/version: {{ .Chart.AppVersion | quote }}
 {{- end }}
 app.kubernetes.io/managed-by: {{ .Release.Service }}
 {{- end -}}
+
+{{/*
+Create the name of the service account to use
+*/}}
+{{- define "<CHARTNAME>.serviceAccountName" -}}
+{{- if .Values.serviceAccount.create -}}
+    {{ default (include "<CHARTNAME>.fullname" .) .Values.serviceAccount.name }}
+{{- else -}}
+    {{ default "default" .Values.serviceAccount.name }}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end -}}
 `
 
 const defaultTestConnection = `apiVersion: v1
@@ -425,6 +455,11 @@ func Create(chartfile *chart.Metadata, dir string) (string, error) {
 			path:    filepath.Join(cdir, TemplatesDir, ServiceName),
 			content: Transform(defaultService, "<CHARTNAME>", chartfile.Name),
 		},
+		{
+			// serviceaccount.yaml
+			path:    filepath.Join(cdir, TemplatesDir, ServiceAccountName),
+			content: Transform(defaultServiceAccount, "<CHARTNAME>", chartfile.Name),
+		},
 		{
 			// NOTES.txt
 			path:    filepath.Join(cdir, TemplatesDir, NotesName),