diff --git a/src/daemon/meson.build b/src/daemon/meson.build
index 35591ae4e..27eb1f009 100644
--- a/src/daemon/meson.build
+++ b/src/daemon/meson.build
@@ -30,4 +30,8 @@ executable('pipewire',
   dependencies : [pipewire_dep],
 )
 
-subdir('systemd')
+systemd = dependency('systemd', required: false)
+
+if systemd.found()
+  subdir('systemd')
+endif
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd/user/meson.build b/src/daemon/systemd/user/meson.build
index 53ee32ef6..a3970a824 100644
--- a/src/daemon/systemd/user/meson.build
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd/user/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-systemd = dependency('systemd', required: true)
-if systemd.found()
-    systemd_user_services_dir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemduserunitdir')
-endif
+systemd_user_services_dir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemduserunitdir')
 
 install_data(sources : 'pipewire.socket', install_dir : systemd_user_services_dir)