diff --git a/nixos/modules/programs/wayland/waybar.nix b/nixos/modules/programs/wayland/waybar.nix
index 35c5cc86f3b4d..074537ea9ed3b 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/programs/wayland/waybar.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/programs/wayland/waybar.nix
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ in
 {
   options.programs.waybar = {
     enable = lib.mkEnableOption "waybar, a highly customizable Wayland bar for Sway and Wlroots based compositors";
-    package = lib.mkPackageOption pkgs "waybar" { };
+    package =
+      lib.mkPackageOption pkgs "waybar" { }
+      // lib.mkOption {
+        apply = pkg: pkg.override { systemdSupport = true; };
+      };
   };
 
   config = lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
diff --git a/pkgs/by-name/wa/waybar/package.nix b/pkgs/by-name/wa/waybar/package.nix
index e0eb7a76eda05..2c2cc2c2535f5 100644
--- a/pkgs/by-name/wa/waybar/package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/by-name/wa/waybar/package.nix
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
   scdoc,
   sndio,
   spdlog,
+  systemdMinimal,
   sway,
   udev,
   upower,
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@
   rfkillSupport ? true,
   runTests ? stdenv.buildPlatform.canExecute stdenv.hostPlatform,
   sndioSupport ? true,
+  systemdSupport ? lib.meta.availableOn stdenv.hostPlatform systemdMinimal,
   swaySupport ? true,
   traySupport ? true,
   udevSupport ? true,
@@ -153,6 +155,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
     ++ lib.optional pulseSupport libpulseaudio
     ++ lib.optional sndioSupport sndio
     ++ lib.optional swaySupport sway
+    ++ lib.optional systemdSupport systemdMinimal
     ++ lib.optional traySupport libdbusmenu-gtk3
     ++ lib.optional udevSupport udev
     ++ lib.optional upowerSupport upower
@@ -179,14 +182,16 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
       "pulseaudio" = pulseSupport;
       "rfkill" = rfkillSupport;
       "sndio" = sndioSupport;
-      "systemd" = true;
+      "systemd" = systemdSupport;
       "tests" = runTests;
       "upower_glib" = upowerSupport;
       "wireplumber" = wireplumberSupport;
     })
     ++ lib.optional experimentalPatches (lib.mesonBool "experimental" true);
 
-  PKG_CONFIG_SYSTEMD_SYSTEMDUSERUNITDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/lib/systemd/user";
+  env = lib.optionalAttrs systemdSupport {
+    PKG_CONFIG_SYSTEMD_SYSTEMDUSERUNITDIR = "${placeholder "out"}/lib/systemd/user";
+  };
 
   postPatch = ''
     substituteInPlace include/util/command.hpp \