diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0ba5c57a8..472b97705 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -277,11 +277,9 @@ endforeach
 cdata.set('HAVE_PIDFD_OPEN',
           cc.get_define('SYS_pidfd_open', prefix: '#include <sys/syscall.h>') != '')
 
-systemd = dependency('systemd', required: get_option('systemd'))
-systemd_dep = dependency('libsystemd',required: get_option('systemd'))
-summary({'systemd conf data': systemd.found()}, bool_yn: true)
+systemd_dep = dependency('libsystemd', required: get_option('libsystemd'))
 summary({'libsystemd': systemd_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true)
-cdata.set('HAVE_SYSTEMD', systemd.found() and systemd_dep.found())
+cdata.set('HAVE_SYSTEMD', systemd_dep.found())
 
 logind_dep = dependency(get_option('logind-provider'), required: get_option('logind'))
 summary({'logind': logind_dep.found()}, bool_yn: true)
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index c5464e063..206d68659 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ option('gstreamer-device-provider',
        description: 'Build GStreamer device provider plugin',
        type: 'feature',
        value: 'auto')
-option('systemd',
-       description: 'Enable systemd integration',
+option('libsystemd',
+       description: 'Enable code that depends on libsystemd',
        type: 'feature',
        value: 'auto')
 option('logind',
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ option('systemd-system-service',
        type: 'feature',
        value: 'disabled')
 option('systemd-user-service',
-       description: 'Install systemd user service file (ignored without systemd)',
+       description: 'Install systemd user service file',
        type: 'feature',
-       value: 'enabled')
+       value: 'auto')
 option('selinux',
        description: 'Enable SELinux integration',
        type: 'feature',
diff --git a/src/daemon/meson.build b/src/daemon/meson.build
index b2ebb9375..e7e482f73 100644
--- a/src/daemon/meson.build
+++ b/src/daemon/meson.build
@@ -161,6 +161,4 @@ custom_target('pipewire-uninstalled',
 #endif
 
 subdir('filter-chain')
-if systemd.found()
-  subdir('systemd')
-endif
+subdir('systemd')
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd/meson.build b/src/daemon/systemd/meson.build
index 482a44c4b..e07449c00 100644
--- a/src/daemon/systemd/meson.build
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,2 @@
-if get_option('systemd-system-service').allowed()
-  subdir('system')
-endif
-if get_option('systemd-user-service').allowed()
-  subdir('user')
-endif
+subdir('system')
+subdir('user')
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd/system/meson.build b/src/daemon/systemd/system/meson.build
index 0cc17670e..02efc7a41 100644
--- a/src/daemon/systemd/system/meson.build
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd/system/meson.build
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+systemd = dependency('systemd', required : get_option('systemd-system-service'))
+if not systemd.found()
+  subdir_done()
+endif
+
 systemd_system_services_dir = systemd.get_variable('systemdsystemunitdir', pkgconfig_define : [ 'rootprefix', prefix])
 if get_option('systemd-system-unit-dir') != ''
   systemd_system_services_dir = get_option('systemd-system-unit-dir')
diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd/user/meson.build b/src/daemon/systemd/user/meson.build
index a96409f2b..1b65d5f7a 100644
--- a/src/daemon/systemd/user/meson.build
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd/user/meson.build
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+systemd = dependency('systemd', required : get_option('systemd-user-service'))
+if not systemd.found()
+  subdir_done()
+endif
+
 systemd_user_services_dir = systemd.get_variable('systemduserunitdir', pkgconfig_define : [ 'prefix', prefix])
 if get_option('systemd-user-unit-dir') != ''
   systemd_user_services_dir = get_option('systemd-user-unit-dir')
diff --git a/test/test-logger.c b/test/test-logger.c
index 81132bffa..178263ada 100644
--- a/test/test-logger.c
+++ b/test/test-logger.c
@@ -496,6 +496,9 @@ PWTEST(logger_journal)
 	pwtest_ptr_notnull(iface);
 
 	rc = sd_journal_open(&journal, SD_JOURNAL_LOCAL_ONLY|SD_JOURNAL_CURRENT_USER);
+	if (rc == -ENOSYS)
+		return PWTEST_SKIP;
+
 	pwtest_neg_errno_ok(rc);
 
 	sd_journal_seek_head(journal);
@@ -565,6 +568,9 @@ PWTEST(logger_journal_chain)
 	pwtest_ptr_notnull(iface);
 
 	rc = sd_journal_open(&journal, SD_JOURNAL_LOCAL_ONLY);
+	if (rc == -ENOSYS)
+		return PWTEST_SKIP;
+
 	pwtest_neg_errno_ok(rc);
 	sd_journal_seek_head(journal);
 	if (sd_journal_next(journal) == 0) { /* No entries? We don't have a journal */