diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ca8036ce7..876ee0579 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ vulkan      = dependency('vulkan', required: true)
 zlib        = dependency('zlib', required: false)
 survive     = dependency('survive', required: false)
 dbus        = dependency('dbus-1', required: get_option('dbus'))
-systemd     = dependency('libsystemd', required: get_option('systemd'))
+systemd     = dependency('systemd', required: get_option('systemd'))
+systemd_dep = dependency('libsystemd', required: get_option('systemd'))
 libbsd      = dependency('libbsd', required: get_option('libbsd'))
 gst         = dependency('gstreamer-1.0', required: false)
 gst_app     = dependency('gstreamer-app-1.0', required: false)
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 88c4ddba9..4d84d2f88 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -163,3 +163,8 @@ option('color_log',
 	value: true,
 	description: 'Log in color'
 )
+
+option('systemd-user-unit-dir',
+	type: 'string',
+	description: 'Directory for user systemd units (defaults to /usr/lib/systemd/user)'
+)
diff --git a/src/xrt/include/xrt/meson.build b/src/xrt/include/xrt/meson.build
index f524250d6..199633bea 100644
--- a/src/xrt/include/xrt/meson.build
+++ b/src/xrt/include/xrt/meson.build
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ if dbus.found() and not get_option('dbus').disabled()
 	have_conf.set('XRT_HAVE_DBUS', true)
 endif
 
-if systemd.found() and not get_option('systemd').disabled()
+if systemd_dep.found() and not get_option('systemd').disabled()
 	have_conf.set('XRT_HAVE_SYSTEMD', true)
 endif
 
diff --git a/src/xrt/targets/service/meson.build b/src/xrt/targets/service/meson.build
index b66865531..7fce71ce7 100644
--- a/src/xrt/targets/service/meson.build
+++ b/src/xrt/targets/service/meson.build
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSL-1.0
 
 service_deps = [pthreads, libjpeg]
-if systemd.found() and not get_option('systemd').disabled()
-	service_deps += systemd
+if systemd_dep.found() and not get_option('systemd').disabled()
+	service_deps += systemd_dep
 endif
 
 hack_deps = []
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@ service = executable(
 )
 
 service_install_path = join_paths(get_option('prefix'), 'bin', 'monado-service')
-systemd_dir = join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('libdir'), 'systemd', 'user')
+systemd_user_services_dir = systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemduserunitdir', define_variable : [ 'prefix', get_option('prefix')])
+if get_option('systemd-user-unit-dir') != ''
+	systemd_user_services_dir = get_option('systemd-user-unit-dir')
+endif
+
 
 service_conf_data = configuration_data()
 service_conf_data.set('UNIT_NAME', 'monado')
@@ -64,7 +68,7 @@ configure_file(
 	input: 'monado.in.service',
 	output: 'monado.service',
 	configuration: service_conf_data,
-	install_dir: systemd_dir
+	install_dir: systemd_user_services_dir
 )
 
 socket_conf_data = configuration_data()
@@ -74,5 +78,5 @@ configure_file(
 	input: 'monado.in.socket',
 	output: 'monado.socket',
 	configuration: socket_conf_data,
-	install_dir: systemd_dir
+	install_dir: systemd_user_services_dir
 )