diff --git a/test/units/testsuite-55.sh b/test/units/testsuite-55.sh
index f0837d22a3e..009933e6654 100755
--- a/test/units/testsuite-55.sh
+++ b/test/units/testsuite-55.sh
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ echo -e "[Service]\nEnvironment=SYSTEMD_LOG_LEVEL=debug" >/etc/systemd/system/sy
 
 systemctl daemon-reload
 
+# enable the service to ensure dbus-org.freedesktop.oom1.service exists
+# and D-Bus activation works
+systemctl enable systemd-oomd.service
+
 # if oomd is already running for some reasons, then restart it to make sure the above settings to be applied
 if systemctl is-active systemd-oomd.service; then
     systemctl restart systemd-oomd.service
diff --git a/units/meson.build b/units/meson.build
index a9bf28f6d9d..3184433b8f5 100644
--- a/units/meson.build
+++ b/units/meson.build
@@ -221,8 +221,7 @@ in_units = [
         ['systemd-networkd.service',             'ENABLE_NETWORKD'],
         ['systemd-networkd-wait-online.service', 'ENABLE_NETWORKD'],
         ['systemd-nspawn@.service',              ''],
-        ['systemd-oomd.service',                 'ENABLE_OOMD',
-         'dbus-org.freedesktop.oom1.service'],
+        ['systemd-oomd.service',                 'ENABLE_OOMD'],
         ['systemd-portabled.service',            'ENABLE_PORTABLED',
          'dbus-org.freedesktop.portable1.service'],
         ['systemd-userdbd.service',              'ENABLE_USERDB'],