diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index b87d5c63a3..53c450eb01 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -2189,7 +2189,8 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_HOMED') == 1
         endif
 endif
 
-foreach alias : ['halt', 'poweroff', 'reboot', 'runlevel', 'shutdown', 'telinit']
+foreach alias : (['halt', 'poweroff', 'reboot', 'shutdown'] +
+                (conf.get('HAVE_SYSV_COMPAT') == 1 ? ['runlevel', 'telinit'] : []))
         meson.add_install_script(meson_make_symlink,
                                  join_paths(rootbindir, 'systemctl'),
                                  join_paths(rootsbindir, alias))
@@ -2851,7 +2852,7 @@ executable(
         include_directories : includes,
         link_with : [libshared],
         install_rpath : rootlibexecdir,
-        install : true,
+        install : (conf.get('HAVE_SYSV_COMPAT') == 1),
         install_dir : rootlibexecdir)
 
 public_programs += executable(
diff --git a/units/meson.build b/units/meson.build
index a0677196de..c641900c66 100644
--- a/units/meson.build
+++ b/units/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1+
 
+with_runlevels = conf.get('HAVE_SYSV_COMPAT') == 1
+
 units = [
         ['basic.target',                        ''],
         ['blockdev@.target',                    ''],
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ units = [
          'multi-user.target.wants/'],
         ['getty-pre.target',                    ''],
         ['graphical.target',                    '',
-         'runlevel5.target default.target'],
+         (with_runlevels ? 'runlevel5.target default.target' : 'default.target')],
         ['halt.target',                         ''],
         ['hibernate.target',                    'ENABLE_HIBERNATE'],
         ['hybrid-sleep.target',                 'ENABLE_HIBERNATE'],
@@ -42,7 +44,7 @@ units = [
         ['machines.target',                     'ENABLE_MACHINED'],
         ['modprobe@.service',                   ''],
         ['multi-user.target',                   '',
-         'runlevel2.target runlevel3.target runlevel4.target'],
+         (with_runlevels ? 'runlevel2.target runlevel3.target runlevel4.target' : '')],
         ['network-online.target',               ''],
         ['network-pre.target',                  ''],
         ['network.target',                      ''],
@@ -50,18 +52,18 @@ units = [
         ['nss-user-lookup.target',              ''],
         ['paths.target',                        ''],
         ['poweroff.target',                     '',
-         'runlevel0.target'],
+         (with_runlevels ? 'runlevel0.target' : '')],
         ['printer.target',                      ''],
         ['proc-sys-fs-binfmt_misc.automount',   'ENABLE_BINFMT',
          'sysinit.target.wants/'],
         ['proc-sys-fs-binfmt_misc.mount',       'ENABLE_BINFMT'],
         ['reboot.target',                       '',
-         'runlevel6.target ctrl-alt-del.target'],
+         (with_runlevels ? 'runlevel6.target ctrl-alt-del.target' : 'ctrl-alt-del.target')],
         ['remote-cryptsetup.target',            'HAVE_LIBCRYPTSETUP'],
         ['remote-fs-pre.target',                ''],
         ['remote-fs.target',                    ''],
         ['rescue.target',                       '',
-         'runlevel1.target'],
+         (with_runlevels ? 'runlevel1.target' : '')],
         ['rpcbind.target',                      ''],
         ['shutdown.target',                     ''],
         ['sigpwr.target',                       ''],
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ units = [
         ['systemd-firstboot.service',           'ENABLE_FIRSTBOOT',
          'sysinit.target.wants/'],
         ['systemd-halt.service',                ''],
-        ['systemd-initctl.socket',              '',
+        ['systemd-initctl.socket',              'HAVE_SYSV_COMPAT',
          'sockets.target.wants/'],
         ['systemd-journal-catalog-update.service', '',
          'sysinit.target.wants/'],