diff --git a/cmd/cloudflared/common_service.go b/cmd/cloudflared/common_service.go
index db7338c0..ac863f03 100644
--- a/cmd/cloudflared/common_service.go
+++ b/cmd/cloudflared/common_service.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
 	"github.com/rs/zerolog"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
 
@@ -8,6 +12,44 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared/cmd/cloudflared/tunnel"
 )
 
+const (
+	defaultTokenFile             = "token"
+	tokenPerms       os.FileMode = 0o600
+)
+
+func writeTokenToFile(path string, token string) error {
+	if _, err := tunnel.ParseToken(token); err != nil {
+		return cliutil.UsageError("Provided tunnel token is not valid (%s).", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(token), tokenPerms); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write token to %s: %v", path, err)
+	}
+
+	// If the token file already existed with unrestrictive perms, os.WriteFile
+	// above will not update them
+	if err := os.Chmod(path, tokenPerms); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to restrict permissions on token file %s: %v", path, err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func removeTokenFile(tokenPath string, log *zerolog.Logger) {
+	err := os.Remove(tokenPath)
+
+	if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		log.Warn().Msgf("Could not remove service token file at %s: %v", tokenPath, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func buildArgsForTokenFile(tokenPath string) []string {
+	return []string{
+		"tunnel", "run", "--token-file", tokenPath,
+	}
+}
+
+// nolint:unused // This function is used by macos and Windows builds, the unused warning when building for Linux is spurious
 func buildArgsForToken(c *cli.Context, log *zerolog.Logger) ([]string, error) {
 	token := c.Args().First()
 	if _, err := tunnel.ParseToken(token); err != nil {
@@ -19,6 +61,7 @@ func buildArgsForToken(c *cli.Context, log *zerolog.Logger) ([]string, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// nolint:unused // This function is used by macos and Windows builds, the unused warning when building for Linux is spurious
 func getServiceExtraArgsFromCliArgs(c *cli.Context, log *zerolog.Logger) ([]string, error) {
 	if c.NArg() > 0 {
 		// currently, we only support extra args for token
diff --git a/cmd/cloudflared/linux_service.go b/cmd/cloudflared/linux_service.go
index a3e1292f..607e768a 100644
--- a/cmd/cloudflared/linux_service.go
+++ b/cmd/cloudflared/linux_service.go
@@ -24,8 +24,21 @@ func runApp(app *cli.App, _ chan struct{}) {
 		Usage: "Manages the cloudflared system service",
 		Subcommands: []*cli.Command{
 			{
-				Name:   "install",
-				Usage:  "Install cloudflared as a system service",
+				Name:      "install",
+				Usage:     "Install cloudflared as a system service",
+				ArgsUsage: "[TOKEN]",
+				Description: `
+Installs cloudflared as a service using the detected init system (e.g., sysv,
+systemd, openrc).
+
+A token may optionally be provided. If a token is provided, it will be written
+to disk in the service configuration directory and the cloudflared service
+configured to use it via the --token-file argument.
+
+If no token is provided, cloudflared will attempt to find a configuration file
+with tunnel credentials from a predetermined list of configuration directory
+paths. If found, it will use that configuration file and credentials (or error
+out if no configuration file with credentials was found).`,
 				Action: cliutil.ConfiguredAction(installLinuxService),
 				Flags: []cli.Flag{
 					noUpdateServiceFlag,
@@ -48,6 +61,7 @@ const (
 	serviceConfigFile        = "config.yml"
 	serviceCredentialFile    = "cert.pem"
 	serviceConfigPath        = serviceConfigDir + "/" + serviceConfigFile
+	tokenPath                = serviceConfigDir + "/" + defaultTokenFile
 	cloudflaredService       = "cloudflared.service"
 	cloudflaredUpdateService = "cloudflared-update.service"
 	cloudflaredUpdateTimer   = "cloudflared-update.timer"
@@ -246,23 +260,45 @@ func installLinuxService(c *cli.Context) error {
 		Path: etPath,
 	}
 
-	// Check if the "no update flag" is set
-	autoUpdate := !c.IsSet(noUpdateServiceFlag.Name)
-
-	var extraArgsFunc func(c *cli.Context, log *zerolog.Logger) ([]string, error)
-	if c.NArg() == 0 {
-		extraArgsFunc = buildArgsForConfig
-	} else {
-		extraArgsFunc = buildArgsForToken
-	}
-
-	extraArgs, err := extraArgsFunc(c, log)
-	if err != nil {
+	// Both installation methods below need the config directory to be present,
+	// either to hold the token file, or the configuration yaml
+	if err := ensureConfigDirExists(serviceConfigDir); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	var extraArgs []string
+	if c.NArg() == 0 {
+		// If passed no arguments e.g., "$ cloudflared service install",
+		// install the service using the detected config file (or error-out if
+		// no config exists).
+		if extraArgs, err = buildArgsForConfig(c, log); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	} else {
+		// If passed one argument e.g., "$ cloudflared service install <token>"
+		// write the token to the config directory and install the service
+		// using --token-file pointing to that file. This is the quick setup
+		// the tunnel UI suggests.
+
+		// Ensure token file is removed if install fails
+		defer func() {
+			if err != nil {
+				removeTokenFile(tokenPath, log)
+			}
+		}()
+
+		if err = writeTokenToFile(tokenPath, c.Args().First()); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		extraArgs = buildArgsForTokenFile(tokenPath)
+	}
+
 	templateArgs.ExtraArgs = extraArgs
 
+	// Check if the "no update flag" is set
+	autoUpdate := !c.IsSet(noUpdateServiceFlag.Name)
+
 	switch {
 	case inits.IsSystemd():
 		log.Info().Msgf("Using Systemd")
@@ -282,10 +318,6 @@ func installLinuxService(c *cli.Context) error {
 }
 
 func buildArgsForConfig(c *cli.Context, log *zerolog.Logger) ([]string, error) {
-	if err := ensureConfigDirExists(serviceConfigDir); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	src, _, err := config.ReadConfigFile(c, log)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -426,6 +458,9 @@ func uninstallLinuxService(c *cli.Context) error {
 	if err == nil {
 		log.Info().Msg("Linux service for cloudflared uninstalled successfully")
 	}
+
+	removeTokenFile(tokenPath, log)
+
 	return err
 }