diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7566447c..f44dfe3e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1373,7 +1373,12 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(DBUS_INIT_SCRIPTS_CYGWIN, test x$with_init_scripts = xcygwin)
 ##### systemd unit files
 AC_ARG_WITH([systemdsystemunitdir],
 AS_HELP_STRING([--with-systemdsystemunitdir=DIR], [Directory for systemd service files]),
-        [], [with_systemdsystemunitdir=$($PKG_CONFIG --variable=systemdsystemunitdir systemd)])
+    [],
+    [
+    PKG_CHECK_EXISTS([systemd],
+      [with_systemdsystemunitdir=$($PKG_CONFIG --variable=systemdsystemunitdir systemd)],
+      [with_systemdsystemunitdir=no])
+    ])
 if test "x$with_systemdsystemunitdir" != xno; then
    AC_SUBST([systemdsystemunitdir], [$with_systemdsystemunitdir])
 fi