diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1b3fe7080..7f55569b0 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1856,6 +1856,10 @@ Some influential environment variables:
   BLKID_CFLAGS
               C compiler flags for BLKID, overriding pkg-config
   BLKID_LIBS  linker flags for BLKID, overriding pkg-config
+  SYSTEMD_CFLAGS
+              C compiler flags for SYSTEMD, overriding pkg-config
+  SYSTEMD_LIBS
+              linker flags for SYSTEMD, overriding pkg-config
   UDEV_CFLAGS C compiler flags for UDEV, overriding pkg-config
   UDEV_LIBS   linker flags for UDEV, overriding pkg-config
   PYTHON      the Python interpreter
@@ -11643,10 +11647,8 @@ $as_echo "#define APP_MACHINEID_SUPPORT 1" >>confdefs.h
 fi
 
 if test -n "SYSTEMD_MIN_VERSION"; then :
-    SYSTEMD_CFLAGS
-              C compiler flags for SYSTEMD, overriding pkg-config
-  SYSTEMD_LIBS
-              linker flags for SYSTEMD, overriding pkg-config
+
+      pkg_config_init
 
 pkg_failed=no
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for SYSTEMD" >&5
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2cff45fdc..0ec8d6b7d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1145,9 +1145,10 @@ AS_IF([test "$APP_MACHINEID_SUPPORT" = yes],
       SYSTEMD_MIN_VERSION=234)
 
 dnl -- Look for libsystemd libraries
-AS_IF([test -n "SYSTEMD_MIN_VERSION"],
+AS_IF([test -n "SYSTEMD_MIN_VERSION"],[
+      pkg_config_init
       PKG_CHECK_MODULES(SYSTEMD, systemd >= "$SYSTEMD_MIN_VERSION", [], $bailout)
-      SYSTEMD_LIBS="-lsystemd")
+      SYSTEMD_LIBS="-lsystemd"])
 
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