diff --git a/man/systemd.exec.xml b/man/systemd.exec.xml
index 0d3645f19f..307913aa16 100644
--- a/man/systemd.exec.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.exec.xml
@@ -2384,10 +2384,9 @@ StandardInputData=SWNrIHNpdHplIGRhIHVuJyBlc3NlIEtsb3BzLAp1ZmYgZWVtYWwga2xvcHAncy
         in the system manager. When compiled for systems with "unmerged /usr" (<filename>/bin</filename> is
         not a symlink to <filename>/usr/bin</filename>),
         <literal>:<filename>/sbin</filename>:<filename>/bin</filename></literal> is appended. In case of the
-        the user manager, each <filename>bin/</filename> and <filename>sbin/</filename> pair is switched, so
-        that programs from <filename>/usr/bin</filename> have higher priority than programs from
-        <filename>/usr/sbin</filename>, etc. It is recommended to not rely on this in any way, and have only
-        one program with a given name in <varname>$PATH</varname>.</para></listitem>
+        the user manager, a different path may be configured by the distribution. It is recommended to not
+        rely on the order of entries, and have only one program with a given name in
+        <varname>$PATH</varname>.</para></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
       <varlistentry>
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 61c2d6aa95..c27deffa8e 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -834,6 +834,16 @@ conf.set10('ENABLE_DEBUG_SIPHASH', enable_debug_siphash)
 conf.set10('VALGRIND', get_option('valgrind'))
 conf.set10('LOG_TRACE', get_option('log-trace'))
 
+default_user_path = get_option('user-path')
+if default_user_path != ''
+        conf.set_quoted('DEFAULT_USER_PATH', default_user_path)
+        default_user_path_display = default_user_path
+else
+        # meson 0.49 fails when ?: is used in .format()
+        default_user_path_display = '(same as system services)'
+endif
+
+
 #####################################################################
 
 threads = dependency('threads')
@@ -3129,6 +3139,7 @@ status = [
         'default net.naming-scheme setting: @0@'.format(default_net_naming_scheme),
         'default KillUserProcesses setting: @0@'.format(kill_user_processes),
         'default locale:                    @0@'.format(default_locale),
+        'default user $PATH:                @0@'.format(default_user_path_display),
         'systemd service watchdog:          @0@'.format(watchdog_opt)]
 
 alt_dns_servers = '\n                                            '.join(dns_servers.split(' '))
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 0919577fd7..79b09e021c 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ option('valgrind', type : 'boolean', value : false,
        description : 'do extra operations to avoid valgrind warnings')
 option('log-trace', type : 'boolean', value : false,
        description : 'enable low level debug logging')
+option('user-path', type : 'string',
+       description : '$PATH to use for user sessions')
 
 option('utmp', type : 'boolean',
        description : 'support for utmp/wtmp log handling')
diff --git a/src/basic/path-util.h b/src/basic/path-util.h
index 71fb7041a3..111d85d445 100644
--- a/src/basic/path-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/path-util.h
@@ -11,41 +11,37 @@
 #include "time-util.h"
 
 #define PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN(x) x "sbin:" x "bin"
-#define PATH_SPLIT_BIN_SBIN(x) x "bin:" x "sbin"
 #define PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x) x "sbin\0" x "bin\0"
 
 #define PATH_NORMAL_SBIN_BIN(x) x "bin"
-#define PATH_NORMAL_BIN_SBIN(x) x "bin"
 #define PATH_NORMAL_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x) x "bin\0"
 
 #if HAVE_SPLIT_BIN
 #  define PATH_SBIN_BIN(x) PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN(x)
-#  define PATH_BIN_SBIN(x) PATH_SPLIT_BIN_SBIN(x)
 #  define PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x) PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x)
 #else
 #  define PATH_SBIN_BIN(x) PATH_NORMAL_SBIN_BIN(x)
-#  define PATH_BIN_SBIN(x) PATH_NORMAL_BIN_SBIN(x)
 #  define PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x) PATH_NORMAL_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x)
 #endif
 
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL PATH_SBIN_BIN("/usr/local/") ":" PATH_SBIN_BIN("/usr/")
-#define DEFAULT_USER_PATH_NORMAL PATH_BIN_SBIN("/usr/local/") ":" PATH_BIN_SBIN("/usr/")
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL_NULSTR PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR("/usr/local/") PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR("/usr/")
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_SPLIT_USR DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL ":" PATH_SBIN_BIN("/")
-#define DEFAULT_USER_PATH_SPLIT_USR DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL ":" PATH_BIN_SBIN("/")
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_SPLIT_USR_NULSTR DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL_NULSTR PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR("/")
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_COMPAT PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN("/usr/local/") ":" PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN("/usr/") ":" PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN("/")
 
 #if HAVE_SPLIT_USR
 #  define DEFAULT_PATH DEFAULT_PATH_SPLIT_USR
-#  define DEFAULT_USER_PATH DEFAULT_USER_PATH_SPLIT_USR
 #  define DEFAULT_PATH_NULSTR DEFAULT_PATH_SPLIT_USR_NULSTR
 #else
 #  define DEFAULT_PATH DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL
-#  define DEFAULT_USER_PATH DEFAULT_USER_PATH_NORMAL
 #  define DEFAULT_PATH_NULSTR DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL_NULSTR
 #endif
 
+#ifndef DEFAULT_USER_PATH
+#  define DEFAULT_USER_PATH DEFAULT_PATH
+#endif
+
 bool is_path(const char *p) _pure_;
 int path_split_and_make_absolute(const char *p, char ***ret);
 bool path_is_absolute(const char *p) _pure_;
diff --git a/src/test/test-path-util.c b/src/test/test-path-util.c
index ece3eb427c..46cdbaf5cc 100644
--- a/src/test/test-path-util.c
+++ b/src/test/test-path-util.c
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@
 #include "tests.h"
 #include "util.h"
 
+static void test_print_paths(void) {
+        log_info("DEFAULT_PATH=%s", DEFAULT_PATH);
+        log_info("DEFAULT_USER_PATH=%s", DEFAULT_USER_PATH);
+}
+
 #define test_path_compare(a, b, result) {                 \
                 assert_se(path_compare(a, b) == result);  \
                 assert_se(path_compare(b, a) == -result); \
@@ -659,6 +664,7 @@ static void test_path_startswith_strv(void) {
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         test_setup_logging(LOG_DEBUG);
 
+        test_print_paths();
         test_path();
         test_path_equal_root();
         test_find_binary(argv[0]);