diff --git a/package/refpolicy/refpolicy.mk b/package/refpolicy/refpolicy.mk
index a5716f5fce..9346649b2c 100644
--- a/package/refpolicy/refpolicy.mk
+++ b/package/refpolicy/refpolicy.mk
@@ -29,11 +29,18 @@ REFPOLICY_POLICY_VERSION = $(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBSEPOL_POLICY_VERSION)
 REFPOLICY_POLICY_STATE = \
 	$(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_REFPOLICY_POLICY_STATE))
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_INIT_SYSTEMD),y)
+define REFPOLICY_CONFIGURE_SYSTEMD
+	$(SED) "/SYSTEMD/c\SYSTEMD = y" $(@D)/build.conf
+endef
+endif
+
 define REFPOLICY_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 	$(SED) "/OUTPUT_POLICY/c\OUTPUT_POLICY = $(REFPOLICY_POLICY_VERSION)" \
 		$(@D)/build.conf
 	$(SED) "/MONOLITHIC/c\MONOLITHIC = y" $(@D)/build.conf
 	$(SED) "/NAME/c\NAME = targeted" $(@D)/build.conf
+	$(REFPOLICY_CONFIGURE_SYSTEMD)
 endef
 
 define REFPOLICY_BUILD_CMDS