diff --git a/distro/systemd/meson.build b/distro/systemd/meson.build
index 9c636b6..6d142e8 100644
--- a/distro/systemd/meson.build
+++ b/distro/systemd/meson.build
@@ -13,33 +13,35 @@ systemd_cfg = configuration_data({
     }
 )
 
-systemd_service_cfg = dependency('systemd')
+systemd_service_cfg = dependency('systemd', required: false)
 
-systemd_system_unit_dir = get_option('systemd_system_unit_dir')
-if systemd_system_unit_dir == ''
-  systemd_system_unit_dir = systemd_service_cfg.get_variable('systemdsystemunitdir')
-endif
+if systemd_service_cfg.found()
+  systemd_system_unit_dir = get_option('systemd_system_unit_dir')
+  if systemd_system_unit_dir == ''
+    systemd_system_unit_dir = systemd_service_cfg.get_variable('systemdsystemunitdir')
+  endif
 
-configure_file(
-    input: 'openvpn3-autoload.service.in',
-    output: 'openvpn3-autoload.service',
-    configuration: systemd_cfg,
-    install: true,
-    install_dir: systemd_system_unit_dir,
-)
+  configure_file(
+      input: 'openvpn3-autoload.service.in',
+      output: 'openvpn3-autoload.service',
+      configuration: systemd_cfg,
+      install: true,
+      install_dir: systemd_system_unit_dir,
+  )
 
-configure_file(
-    input: 'openvpn3-session@.service.in',
-    output: 'openvpn3-session@.service',
-    configuration: systemd_cfg,
-    install: true,
-    install_dir: systemd_system_unit_dir,
-)
+  configure_file(
+      input: 'openvpn3-session@.service.in',
+      output: 'openvpn3-session@.service',
+      configuration: systemd_cfg,
+      install: true,
+      install_dir: systemd_system_unit_dir,
+  )
 
-custom_target('openvpn3-systemd',
-    input: 'openvpn3-systemd',
-    output: 'openvpn3-systemd',
-    command: [cp_prog, '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'],
-    install: true,
-    install_dir: libexec_dir,
-)
+  custom_target('openvpn3-systemd',
+      input: 'openvpn3-systemd',
+      output: 'openvpn3-systemd',
+      command: [cp_prog, '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'],
+      install: true,
+      install_dir: libexec_dir,
+  )
+endif
diff --git a/src/python/session-watcher/meson.build b/src/python/session-watcher/meson.build
index d5d0c37..62568ad 100644
--- a/src/python/session-watcher/meson.build
+++ b/src/python/session-watcher/meson.build
@@ -11,20 +11,7 @@ systemd_cfg = configuration_data({
     }
 )
 
-systemd_service_cfg = dependency('systemd')
-
-systemd_user_unit_dir = get_option('systemd_user_unit_dir')
-if systemd_user_unit_dir == ''
-  systemd_user_unit_dir = systemd_service_cfg.get_variable('systemduserunitdir')
-endif
-
-configure_file(
-    input: 'openvpn3-desktop-session-watcher.service.in',
-    output: 'openvpn3-desktop-session-watcher.service',
-    configuration: systemd_cfg,
-    install: true,
-    install_dir: systemd_user_unit_dir,
-)
+systemd_service_cfg = dependency('systemd', required: false)
 
 custom_target('openvpn3-desktop-session-watcher',
     input: 'openvpn3-desktop-session-watcher.py',
@@ -34,3 +21,17 @@ custom_target('openvpn3-desktop-session-watcher',
     install_mode: 'rwxr-xr-x',
     install_dir: systemd_cfg.get('BINDIR'),
 )
+
+if systemd_service_cfg.found()
+  systemd_user_unit_dir = get_option('systemd_user_unit_dir')
+  if systemd_user_unit_dir == ''
+    systemd_user_unit_dir = systemd_service_cfg.get_variable('systemduserunitdir')
+  endif
+  configure_file(
+      input: 'openvpn3-desktop-session-watcher.service.in',
+      output: 'openvpn3-desktop-session-watcher.service',
+      configuration: systemd_cfg,
+      install: true,
+      install_dir: systemd_user_unit_dir,
+  )
+endif