diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index c8560b6..0fe93ec 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 option('man', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
        description : 'build manpage with ronn')
-option('systemd', type : 'feature', value : 'auto',
+option('systemd', type : 'boolean', value : true,
        description :'enable systemd support')
diff --git a/services/meson.build b/services/meson.build
index 0be40f1..2c56c01 100644
--- a/services/meson.build
+++ b/services/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-systemd = dependency('systemd', required: get_option('systemd'))
-if systemd.found()
+if get_option('systemd')
     subdir('systemd')
 endif
diff --git a/services/systemd/meson.build b/services/systemd/meson.build
index eccbde7..ae746fa 100644
--- a/services/systemd/meson.build
+++ b/services/systemd/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-unitdir = systemd.get_variable(pkgconfig: 'systemdsystemunitdir')
 prefixdir = get_option('prefix')
+unitdir = join_paths(prefixdir, get_option('libdir'), 'systemd', 'system')
 bindir = join_paths(prefixdir, get_option('bindir'))
 
 unit_conf = configuration_data()