diff --git a/data/meson.build b/data/meson.build
index ec414debc..a87308f45 100644
--- a/data/meson.build
+++ b/data/meson.build
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ install_data(['org.freedesktop.fwupd.xml'],
 )
 
 install_data(['90-fwupd-devices.rules'],
-  install_dir : join_paths(get_option('prefix'), 'lib', 'udev', 'rules.d')
+  install_dir : join_paths(udev.get_pkgconfig_variable('udevdir'), 'rules.d')
 )
 
 con2 = configuration_data()
@@ -44,10 +44,7 @@ configure_file(
   output : 'fwupd-offline-update.service',
   configuration : con2,
   install: true,
-  install_dir: join_paths(get_option('prefix'),
-                          'lib',
-                          'systemd',
-                          'system'),
+  install_dir: systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemdsystemunitdir'),
 )
 
 # replace @localstatedir@ and @bootdir@
@@ -56,8 +53,5 @@ configure_file(
   output : 'fwupd.service',
   configuration : con2,
   install: true,
-  install_dir: join_paths(get_option('prefix'),
-                          'lib',
-                          'systemd',
-                          'system'),
+  install_dir: systemd.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemdsystemunitdir'),
 )
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 8a500de2a..600ab16ae 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ soup = dependency('libsoup-2.4', version : '>= 2.51.92')
 gpgme = cc.find_library('gpgme')
 gpgerror = cc.find_library('libgpg-error')
 libm = cc.find_library('libm', required: false)
+systemd = dependency('systemd')
+udev = dependency('udev')
 
 if valgrind.found()
   conf.set('HAVE_VALGRIND', '1')