diff --git a/lib/libwtmpdb.c b/lib/libwtmpdb.c
index d8fa1b6..0a491d6 100644
--- a/lib/libwtmpdb.c
+++ b/lib/libwtmpdb.c
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
   POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 */
 
+#include "config.h"
+
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -32,9 +34,12 @@
 #include "basics.h"
 #include "wtmpdb.h"
 #include "sqlite.h"
+
+#if WITH_WTMPDBD
 #include "varlink.h"
 
 static int varlink_is_active = 1;
+#endif
 
 /*
   Add new wtmp entry to db.
@@ -46,6 +51,7 @@ wtmpdb_login (const char *db_path, int type, const char *user,
 	      uint64_t usec_login, const char *tty, const char *rhost,
 	      const char *service, char **error)
 {
+#if WITH_WTMPDBD
   /* we can use varlink only if no specific database is requested */
   if (varlink_is_active && db_path == NULL)
     {
@@ -64,7 +70,7 @@ wtmpdb_login (const char *db_path, int type, const char *user,
       else
 	return id; /* return the error if wtmpdbd is active */
     }
-
+#endif
   return sqlite_login (db_path?db_path:_PATH_WTMPDB, type, user,
 		       usec_login, tty, rhost, service, error);
 }
@@ -79,6 +85,7 @@ int
 wtmpdb_logout (const char *db_path, int64_t id, uint64_t usec_logout,
 	       char **error)
 {
+#if WITH_WTMPDBD
   /* we can use varlink only if no specific database is requested */
   if (varlink_is_active && db_path == NULL)
     {
@@ -96,6 +103,7 @@ wtmpdb_logout (const char *db_path, int64_t id, uint64_t usec_logout,
       else
 	return r; /* return the error if wtmpdbd is active */
     }
+#endif
 
   return sqlite_logout (db_path?db_path:_PATH_WTMPDB, id, usec_logout, error);
 }
@@ -103,6 +111,7 @@ wtmpdb_logout (const char *db_path, int64_t id, uint64_t usec_logout,
 int64_t
 wtmpdb_get_id (const char *db_path, const char *tty, char **error)
 {
+#if WITH_WTMPDBD
   /* we can use varlink only if no specific database is requested */
   if (varlink_is_active && db_path == NULL)
     {
@@ -120,6 +129,7 @@ wtmpdb_get_id (const char *db_path, const char *tty, char **error)
       else
 	return id; /* return the error if wtmpdbd is active */
     }
+#endif
 
   return sqlite_get_id (db_path?db_path:_PATH_WTMPDB, tty, error);
 }
@@ -153,6 +163,7 @@ int
 wtmpdb_rotate (const char *db_path, const int days, char **error,
 	       char **wtmpdb_name, uint64_t *entries)
 {
+#if WITH_WTMPDBD
   /* we can use varlink only if no specific database is requested */
   if (varlink_is_active && db_path == NULL)
     {
@@ -170,6 +181,7 @@ wtmpdb_rotate (const char *db_path, const int days, char **error,
       else
 	return r; /* return the error if wtmpdbd is active */
     }
+#endif
 
   return sqlite_rotate (db_path?db_path:_PATH_WTMPDB, days, wtmpdb_name, entries, error);
 }
@@ -178,6 +190,7 @@ wtmpdb_rotate (const char *db_path, const int days, char **error,
 uint64_t
 wtmpdb_get_boottime (const char *db_path, char **error)
 {
+#if WITH_WTMPDBD
   /* we can use varlink only if no specific database is requested */
   if (varlink_is_active && db_path == NULL)
     {
@@ -196,6 +209,7 @@ wtmpdb_get_boottime (const char *db_path, char **error)
       else
 	return 0; /* return the error if wtmpdbd is active */
     }
+#endif
 
   return sqlite_get_boottime (db_path?db_path:_PATH_WTMPDB, error);
 }
diff --git a/lib/varlink.c b/lib/varlink.c
index 448f18f..1c48b4c 100644
--- a/lib/varlink.c
+++ b/lib/varlink.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#if HAVE_SYSTEMD
+#if WITH_WTMPDBD
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 2227afe..b3584ac 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ project(
   		  'default_library=shared',
 		  'b_pie=true',
                   'b_lto=true',
-		  'warning_level=3',],
-  license : ['BSD-2-Clause',],
+		  'warning_level=2'],
+  license : ['BSD-2-Clause'],
   version : '0.50.0',
 )
 
@@ -103,14 +103,28 @@ else
 endif
 conf.set10('HAVE_AUDIT', have_audit)
 
-want_systemd = get_option('systemd')
-if want_systemd != 'false'
-        libsystemd = dependency('libsystemd', required : want_systemd == 'true')
-        have_systemd = libsystemd.found()
+want_wtmpdbd = get_option('wtmpdbd')
+if want_wtmpdbd != 'false'
+        libsystemd = dependency('libsystemd', version: '>= 257', required : want_wtmpdbd == 'true')
+        have_systemd257 = libsystemd.found()
 else
-        have_systemd = false
+        have_systemd257 = false
         libsystemd = []
 endif
+conf.set10('WITH_WTMPDBD', have_systemd257)
+
+want_systemd = get_option('systemd')
+if have_systemd257 == false
+  if want_systemd != 'false'
+          libsystemd = dependency('libsystemd', required : want_systemd == 'true')
+          have_systemd = libsystemd.found()
+  else
+          have_systemd = false
+          libsystemd = []
+  endif
+else
+    have_systemd = true
+endif
 conf.set10('HAVE_SYSTEMD', have_systemd)
 
 libwtmpdb_c = files('lib/libwtmpdb.c', 'lib/logwtmpdb.c', 'lib/sqlite.c', 'lib/varlink.c', 'lib/mkdir_p.c')
@@ -158,12 +172,14 @@ pam_wtmpdb = shared_library(
 wtmpdb_c = ['src/wtmpdb.c']
 wtmpdbd_c = ['src/wtmpdbd.c', 'src/varlink-org.openSUSE.wtmpdb.c', 'lib/mkdir_p.c']
 
-executable('wtmpdbd',
-           wtmpdbd_c,
-           include_directories : inc,
-           link_with : libwtmpdb,
-           dependencies : [libsystemd],
-           install : true)
+if have_systemd257
+  executable('wtmpdbd',
+             wtmpdbd_c,
+             include_directories : inc,
+             link_with : libwtmpdb,
+             dependencies : [libsystemd],
+             install : true)
+endif
 
 executable('wtmpdb',
            wtmpdb_c,
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index f56de90..b16a56b 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+option('wtmpdbd', type : 'combo', choices : ['auto', 'true', 'false'],
+       value : 'auto',
+       description : 'build daemon with sd-varlink support')
 option('split-usr', type : 'combo', choices : ['auto', 'true', 'false'],
        description : '''/bin, /sbin aren't symlinks into /usr''')
 option('rootprefix', type : 'string',