diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index f03033c3e..4b6723f2b 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ option('systemd',
        description: 'Enable systemd integration',
        type: 'boolean',
        value: true)
+option('systemd-system-service',
+       description: 'Install systemd system service file',
+       type: 'boolean',
+       value: false)
+option('systemd-user-service',
+       description: 'Install systemd user service file',
+       type: 'boolean',
+       value: true)
 option('pipewire-alsa',
        description: 'Enable pipewire-alsa integration',
        type: 'boolean',
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd/meson.build b/src/daemon/systemd/meson.build
index 45f23466c..8051b0f5b 100644
--- a/src/daemon/systemd/meson.build
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd/meson.build
@@ -1 +1,6 @@
-subdir('user')
+if get_option('systemd-system-service')
+  subdir('system')
+endif
+if get_option('systemd-user-service')
+  subdir('user')
+endif
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd/system/meson.build b/src/daemon/systemd/system/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7bd4f946d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd/system/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+systemd_system_services_dir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemdsystemunitdir', define_variable : [ 'prefix', prefix])
+
+install_data(sources : 'pipewire.socket',
+             install_dir : systemd_system_services_dir)
+
+systemd_config = configuration_data()
+systemd_config.set('PW_BINARY', join_paths(pipewire_bindir, 'pipewire'))
+
+configure_file(input : 'pipewire.service.in',
+               output : 'pipewire.service',
+               configuration : systemd_config,
+               install_dir : systemd_system_services_dir)
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd/system/pipewire.service.in b/src/daemon/systemd/system/pipewire.service.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..543dc7a60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd/system/pipewire.service.in
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Multimedia Service
+
+# We require pipewire.socket to be active before starting the daemon, because
+# while it is possible to use the service without the socket, it is not clear
+# why it would be desirable.
+#
+# Installing pipewire and doing `systemctl start pipewire` will not get the
+# socket started, which might be confusing and problematic if the server is to
+# be restarted later on, as the client autospawn feature might kick in. Also, a
+# start of the socket unit will fail, adding to the confusion.
+#
+# After=pipewire.socket is not needed, as it is already implicit in the
+# socket-service relationship, see systemd.socket(5).
+Requires=pipewire.socket
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+ExecStart=@PW_BINARY@
+Restart=on-failure
+RuntimeDirectory=pipewire
+User=pipewire
+Environment=PIPEWIRE_RUNTIME_DIR=%t/pipewire
+
+[Install]
+Also=pipewire.socket
+WantedBy=default.target
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd/system/pipewire.socket b/src/daemon/systemd/system/pipewire.socket
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7c9556c83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd/system/pipewire.socket
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Multimedia System
+
+[Socket]
+Priority=6
+Backlog=5
+ListenStream=%t/pipewire/pipewire-0
+SocketUser=pipewire
+SocketGroup=pipewire
+SocketMode=0660
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=sockets.target