diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 6b418dc7b1..1cbb278c68 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -2675,13 +2675,13 @@ nodist_systemunit_DATA += \
 
 nodist_tmpfiles_DATA = \
 	tmpfiles.d/systemd.conf \
+	tmpfiles.d/var.conf \
 	tmpfiles.d/etc.conf
 
 dist_tmpfiles_DATA = \
 	tmpfiles.d/systemd-nologin.conf \
 	tmpfiles.d/tmp.conf \
 	tmpfiles.d/x11.conf \
-	tmpfiles.d/var.conf \
 	tmpfiles.d/home.conf \
 	tmpfiles.d/systemd-nspawn.conf \
 	tmpfiles.d/journal-nocow.conf
@@ -2709,6 +2709,7 @@ endif
 EXTRA_DIST += \
 	tmpfiles.d/systemd.conf.m4 \
 	tmpfiles.d/etc.conf.m4 \
+	tmpfiles.d/var.conf.m4 \
 	units/systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev.service.in \
 	units/systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service.in \
 	units/systemd-tmpfiles-clean.service.in
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c8c162b698..a47492df3e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -422,7 +422,11 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([utmp], AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-utmp], [disable utmp/wtmp log ha
                 [xyes], [have_utmp=yes],
                 [xno],  [have_utmp=no],
                 AC_MSG_ERROR(bad value ${enableval} for --enable-utmp)))
-AS_IF([test "x$have_utmp" = "xyes"], [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_UTMP, 1, [Define if utmp/wtmp support is enabled])])
+AS_IF([test "x$have_utmp" = "xyes"], [
+        AC_DEFINE(HAVE_UTMP, 1, [Define if utmp/wtmp support is enabled])
+        have_utmp=yes
+        M4_DEFINES="$M4_DEFINES -DHAVE_UTMP"],
+        [have_utmp=no])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_UTMP], [test "x$have_utmp" = "xyes"])
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/tmpfiles.d/meson.build b/tmpfiles.d/meson.build
index d68d17e956..da87ea5056 100644
--- a/tmpfiles.d/meson.build
+++ b/tmpfiles.d/meson.build
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ tmpfiles = [['home.conf',            ''],
             ['systemd-nspawn.conf',  ''],
             ['systemd-remote.conf',  'ENABLE_REMOTE'],
             ['tmp.conf',             ''],
-            ['var.conf',             ''],
             ['x11.conf',             ''],
             ['legacy.conf',          'HAVE_SYSV_COMPAT'],
            ]
@@ -23,7 +22,8 @@ foreach pair : tmpfiles
 endforeach
 
 m4_files = ['etc.conf',
-            'systemd.conf']
+            'systemd.conf',
+            'var.conf']
 
 foreach file : m4_files
         custom_target(
diff --git a/tmpfiles.d/var.conf b/tmpfiles.d/var.conf.m4
similarity index 94%
rename from tmpfiles.d/var.conf
rename to tmpfiles.d/var.conf.m4
index ae7952e77a..24374ba8cb 100644
--- a/tmpfiles.d/var.conf
+++ b/tmpfiles.d/var.conf.m4
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@ q /var 0755 - - -
 L /var/run - - - - ../run
 
 d /var/log 0755 - - -
+m4_ifdef(`HAVE_UTMP',
 f /var/log/wtmp 0664 root utmp -
 f /var/log/btmp 0600 root utmp -
+)m4_dnl
 
 d /var/cache 0755 - - -