diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 82be4a091..b0ec2ae86 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@ option(ICINGA2_WITH_OPENTELEMETRY "Build the OpenTelemetry integration module" $
 option (USE_SYSTEMD
  "Configure icinga as native systemd service instead of a SysV initscript" OFF)
 
-set(HAVE_SYSTEMD ${USE_SYSTEMD})
-
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(InstallConfig)
 include(SetFullDir)
@@ -234,8 +232,11 @@ include_directories(
   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/lib
 )
 
-if(HAVE_SYSTEMD)
-  list(APPEND base_DEPS systemd)
+if(USE_SYSTEMD)
+  find_package(Systemd REQUIRED)
+  list(APPEND base_DEPS Systemd)
+  include_directories(SYSTEM ${Systemd_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+  add_compile_definitions(HAVE_SYSTEMD)
 endif()
 
 if(EDITLINE_FOUND)
diff --git a/cmake/FindSystemd.cmake b/cmake/FindSystemd.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0aa60eef4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/FindSystemd.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Icinga GmbH <https://icinga.com>
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+
+find_path(Systemd_INCLUDE_DIRS
+  NAMES
+  systemd/sd-daemon.h
+  HINTS ${SYSTEMD_ROOT_DIR}
+)
+
+find_library(Systemd_LIBRARIES
+  NAMES systemd
+  HINTS ${SYSTEMD_LIBRARY_DIR}
+)
+
+include(FindPackageHandleStandardArgs)
+find_package_handle_standard_args(Systemd
+  REQUIRED_VARS Systemd_LIBRARIES Systemd_INCLUDE_DIRS
+)
+
+if(Systemd_FOUND)
+  message(STATUS "Systemd_LIBRARIES: ${Systemd_LIBRARIES}")
+  message(STATUS "Systemd_INCLUDE_DIRS: ${Systemd_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+  add_library(Systemd UNKNOWN IMPORTED)
+  set_target_properties(Systemd PROPERTIES
+    IMPORTED_LOCATION "${Systemd_LIBRARIES}"
+    INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${Systemd_INCLUDE_DIRS}"
+    INTERFACE_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS "HAVE_SYSTEMD"
+    INTERFACE_LINK_LIBRARIES "${Systemd_LIBRARIES}"
+  )
+else()
+  set(SYSTEMD_LIBRARIES)
+  set(SYSTEMD_INCLUDE_DIRS)
+endif()
+
+mark_as_advanced(Systemd_LIBRARIES Systemd_INCLUDE_DIRS)
diff --git a/config.h.cmake b/config.h.cmake
index b3b36207a..8daab077d 100644
--- a/config.h.cmake
+++ b/config.h.cmake
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #cmakedefine HAVE_PTHREAD_SET_NAME_NP
 #cmakedefine HAVE_PTHREAD_SETNAME_NP
 #cmakedefine HAVE_EDITLINE
-#cmakedefine HAVE_SYSTEMD
 
 #cmakedefine ICINGA2_UNITY_BUILD
 #cmakedefine ICINGA2_STACKTRACE_USE_BACKTRACE_SYMBOLS
diff --git a/etc/CMakeLists.txt b/etc/CMakeLists.txt
index bee39464b..b72c0cd55 100644
--- a/etc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/etc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ install_if_not_exists(icinga2/features-available/debuglog.conf ${ICINGA2_CONFIGD
 install_if_not_exists(icinga2/features-available/mainlog.conf ${ICINGA2_CONFIGDIR}/features-available)
 if(NOT WIN32)
   install_if_not_exists(icinga2/features-available/syslog.conf ${ICINGA2_CONFIGDIR}/features-available)
-  if(HAVE_SYSTEMD)
+  if(USE_SYSTEMD)
     install_if_not_exists(icinga2/features-available/journald.conf ${ICINGA2_CONFIGDIR}/features-available)
   endif()
 else()
diff --git a/lib/base/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/base/CMakeLists.txt
index 6f80914e4..3f41b8bfb 100644
--- a/lib/base/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/base/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -133,11 +133,7 @@ if(ICINGA2_UNITY_BUILD)
   mkunity_target(base base base_SOURCES)
 endif()
 
-if(HAVE_SYSTEMD)
-  find_path(SYSTEMD_INCLUDE_DIR
-    NAMES systemd/sd-daemon.h
-    HINTS ${SYSTEMD_ROOT_DIR})
-  include_directories(SYSTEM ${SYSTEMD_INCLUDE_DIR})
+if(USE_SYSTEMD)
   set_property(
     SOURCE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/journaldlogger.cpp
     APPEND PROPERTY COMPILE_DEFINITIONS