diff --git a/src/basic/meson.build b/src/basic/meson.build
index 282118bb1ab..df4058a57bc 100644
--- a/src/basic/meson.build
+++ b/src/basic/meson.build
@@ -237,6 +237,8 @@ basic_sources = files('''
         strv.h
         strxcpyx.c
         strxcpyx.h
+        sysctl-util.c
+        sysctl-util.h
         syslog-util.c
         syslog-util.h
         terminal-util.c
diff --git a/src/shared/sysctl-util.c b/src/basic/sysctl-util.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/shared/sysctl-util.c
rename to src/basic/sysctl-util.c
diff --git a/src/shared/sysctl-util.h b/src/basic/sysctl-util.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/shared/sysctl-util.h
rename to src/basic/sysctl-util.h
diff --git a/src/shared/meson.build b/src/shared/meson.build
index 4b27a95cc23..e6d5ad8f724 100644
--- a/src/shared/meson.build
+++ b/src/shared/meson.build
@@ -242,8 +242,6 @@ shared_sources = files('''
         specifier.h
         switch-root.c
         switch-root.h
-        sysctl-util.c
-        sysctl-util.h
         tmpfile-util-label.c
         tmpfile-util-label.h
         tomoyo-util.c