diff --git a/data/phosphor-service-monitor-default.json b/data/phosphor-service-monitor-default.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99877e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/phosphor-service-monitor-default.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+    "services" : [
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.biosconfig_manager.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.Dump.Manager.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.EntityManager.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.Inventory.Manager.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.Logging.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.Network.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.ObjectMapper.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.Settings.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.Software.BMC.Updater.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.Software.Download.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.Software.Version.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.State.BMC.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.State.Chassis.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.State.Host.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.Time.Manager.service",
+        "xyz.openbmc_project.User.Manager.service",
+        "bmcweb.service"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index d87b837..be2a2ba 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@
 )
 
 executable('phosphor-systemd-target-monitor',
+            'systemd_service_parser.cpp',
             'systemd_target_monitor.cpp',
             'systemd_target_parser.cpp',
             'systemd_target_signal.cpp',
diff --git a/systemd_service_parser.cpp b/systemd_service_parser.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46d9156
--- /dev/null
+++ b/systemd_service_parser.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#include "systemd_service_parser.hpp"
+
+#include <fstream>
+#include <iostream>
+
+ServiceMonitorData parseServiceFiles(const std::vector<std::string>& filePaths)
+{
+    ServiceMonitorData systemdServiceMap;
+    for (const auto& jsonFile : filePaths)
+    {
+        if (gVerbose)
+        {
+            std::cout << "Parsing input service file " << jsonFile << std::endl;
+        }
+        std::ifstream fileStream(jsonFile);
+        auto j = json::parse(fileStream);
+
+        for (auto& service : j["services"].items())
+        {
+            if (gVerbose)
+            {
+                std::cout << "service: " << service.value() << std::endl;
+            }
+
+            systemdServiceMap.push_back(service.value());
+        }
+    }
+    return systemdServiceMap;
+}
diff --git a/systemd_service_parser.hpp b/systemd_service_parser.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..54d36b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/systemd_service_parser.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+#include <map>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+/** @brief Array of services to monitor */
+using ServiceMonitorData = std::vector<std::string>;
+
+using json = nlohmann::json;
+
+extern bool gVerbose;
+
+/** @brief Parse input json file(s) for services to monitor
+ *
+ * @note This function will throw exceptions for an invalid json file
+ * @note See phosphor-service-monitor-default.json for example of json file
+ *       format
+ *
+ * @param[in] filePaths - The file(s) to parse
+ *
+ * @return  Service(s) to monitor for errors
+ */
+ServiceMonitorData parseServiceFiles(const std::vector<std::string>& filePaths);
diff --git a/systemd_target_monitor.cpp b/systemd_target_monitor.cpp
index cc13711..0d8ae74 100644
--- a/systemd_target_monitor.cpp
+++ b/systemd_target_monitor.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#include "systemd_service_parser.hpp"
 #include "systemd_target_parser.hpp"
 #include "systemd_target_signal.hpp"
 
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@
     std::cout << "[-f <file1> -f <file2> ...] : Full path to json file(s) with "
                  "target/error mappings"
               << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "[-s <file1> -s <file2> ...] : Full path to json file(s) with "
+                 "services to monitor for errors"
+              << std::endl;
     return;
 }
 
@@ -42,24 +46,27 @@
     auto bus = sdbusplus::bus::new_default();
     auto event = sdeventplus::Event::get_default();
     bus.attach_event(event.get(), SD_EVENT_PRIORITY_NORMAL);
-    std::vector<std::string> filePaths;
+    std::vector<std::string> targetFilePaths;
+    std::vector<std::string> serviceFilePaths;
 
-    CLI::App app{"OpenBmc systemd target monitor"};
-    app.add_option("-f,--file", filePaths,
+    CLI::App app{"OpenBmc systemd target and service monitor"};
+    app.add_option("-f,--file", targetFilePaths,
                    "Full path to json file(s) with target/error mappings");
+    app.add_option("-s,--service", serviceFilePaths,
+                   "Full path to json file(s) with services to monitor");
     app.add_flag("-v", gVerbose, "Enable verbose output");
 
     CLI11_PARSE(app, argc, argv);
 
-    if (filePaths.empty())
+    // target file input required
+    if (targetFilePaths.empty())
     {
         error("No input files");
         print_usage();
         exit(-1);
     }
 
-    TargetErrorData targetData = parseFiles(filePaths);
-
+    TargetErrorData targetData = parseFiles(targetFilePaths);
     if (targetData.size() == 0)
     {
         error("Invalid input files, no targets found");
@@ -67,6 +74,12 @@
         exit(-1);
     }
 
+    ServiceMonitorData serviceData;
+    if (!serviceFilePaths.empty())
+    {
+        serviceData = parseServiceFiles(serviceFilePaths);
+    }
+
     if (gVerbose)
     {
         dump_targets(targetData);