diff --git a/docs/var-log/README b/docs/var-log/README
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5c6c5924b57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/var-log/README
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+You are looking for the traditional text log files in /var/log, and they are
+gone?
+
+Here's an explanation on what's going on:
+
+You are running a systemd-based OS where traditional syslog has been replaced
+with the Journal. The journal stores the same (and more) information as classic
+syslog. To make use of the journal and access the collected log data simply
+invoke "journalctl", which will output the logs in the identical text-based
+format the syslog files in /var/log used to be. For further details, please
+refer to journalctl(1).
+
+Alternatively, consider installing one of the traditional syslog
+implementations available for your distribution, which will generate the
+classic log files for you. Syslog implementations such as syslog-ng or rsyslog
+may be installed side-by-side with the journal and will continue to function
+the way they always did.
+
+Thank you!
+
+Further reading:
+        man:journalctl(1)
+        man:systemd-journald.service(8)
+        man:journald.conf(5)
+        http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/the-journal.html
diff --git a/docs/var-log/README.in b/docs/var-log/README.in
deleted file mode 100644
index 2e64fb196a6..00000000000
--- a/docs/var-log/README.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-You are looking for the traditional text log files in @VARLOGDIR@, and
-they are gone?
-
-Here's an explanation on what's going on:
-
-You are running a systemd-based OS where traditional syslog has been
-replaced with the Journal. The journal stores the same (and more)
-information as classic syslog. To make use of the journal and access
-the collected log data simply invoke "journalctl", which will output
-the logs in the identical text-based format the syslog files in
-@VARLOGDIR@ used to be. For further details, please refer to
-journalctl(1).
-
-Alternatively, consider installing one of the traditional syslog
-implementations available for your distribution, which will generate
-the classic log files for you. Syslog implementations such as
-syslog-ng or rsyslog may be installed side-by-side with the journal
-and will continue to function the way they always did.
-
-Thank you!
-
-Further reading:
-        man:journalctl(1)
-        man:systemd-journald.service(8)
-        man:journald.conf(5)
-        http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/the-journal.html
diff --git a/docs/var-log/meson.build b/docs/var-log/meson.build
index 993eb31d679..81b78654388 100644
--- a/docs/var-log/meson.build
+++ b/docs/var-log/meson.build
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1+
 
-file = configure_file(
-        input : 'README.in',
-        output : 'README',
-        configuration : substs)
-
 if conf.get('HAVE_SYSV_COMPAT') == 1 and get_option('create-log-dirs')
-        install_data(file,
-                     install_dir : varlogdir)
+        install_data('README',
+                     install_dir : '/var/log')
 endif
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 3988fb76bde..3a936947bb2 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -113,7 +113,6 @@ pkgconfiglibdir = get_option('pkgconfiglibdir') == '' ? join_paths(libdir, 'pkgc
 polkitpolicydir = join_paths(datadir, 'polkit-1/actions')
 polkitrulesdir = join_paths(datadir, 'polkit-1/rules.d')
 polkitpkladir = join_paths(localstatedir, 'lib/polkit-1/localauthority/10-vendor.d')
-varlogdir = join_paths(localstatedir, 'log')
 xinitrcdir = join_paths(sysconfdir, 'X11/xinit/xinitrc.d')
 rpmmacrosdir = get_option('rpmmacrosdir')
 if rpmmacrosdir != 'no'
@@ -272,7 +271,6 @@ substs.set('systemenvgeneratordir',                           systemenvgenerator
 substs.set('userenvgeneratordir',                             userenvgeneratordir)
 substs.set('systemshutdowndir',                               systemshutdowndir)
 substs.set('systemsleepdir',                                  systemsleepdir)
-substs.set('VARLOGDIR',                                       varlogdir)
 substs.set('CERTIFICATEROOT',                                 get_option('certificate-root'))
 substs.set('SYSTEMCTL',                                       join_paths(rootbindir, 'systemctl'))
 substs.set('RANDOM_SEED',                                     join_paths(randomseeddir, 'random-seed'))