diff --git a/profile.d/meson.build b/profile.d/meson.build
index b1692920f4d..9551d2a1115 100644
--- a/profile.d/meson.build
+++ b/profile.d/meson.build
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 install_data('70-systemd-shell-extra.sh', install_dir : shellprofiledir.startswith('/usr/') ? shellprofiledir : libexecdir / 'profile.d')
 install_data('80-systemd-osc-context.sh', install_dir : shellprofiledir.startswith('/usr/') ? shellprofiledir : libexecdir / 'profile.d')
 
-if conf.get('LINK_SHELL_EXTRA_DROPIN') == 1
+if (not shellprofiledir.startswith(sysconfdir) or install_sysconfdir) and conf.get('LINK_SHELL_EXTRA_DROPIN') == 1
         if meson.version().version_compare('>=1.3.0')
                 install_symlink(
                         '70-systemd-shell-extra.sh',
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ if conf.get('LINK_SHELL_EXTRA_DROPIN') == 1
         endif
 endif
 
-if conf.get('LINK_OSC_CONTEXT_DROPIN') == 1
+if (not shellprofiledir.startswith(sysconfdir) or install_sysconfdir) and conf.get('LINK_OSC_CONTEXT_DROPIN') == 1
         if meson.version().version_compare('>=1.3.0')
                 install_symlink(
                         '80-systemd-osc-context.sh',
diff --git a/src/ssh-generator/meson.build b/src/ssh-generator/meson.build
index a7162e9b869..3f0589a55f1 100644
--- a/src/ssh-generator/meson.build
+++ b/src/ssh-generator/meson.build
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_SSH_PROXY_CONFIG') == 1
                 install : true,
                 install_dir : sshconfdir.startswith('/usr/') ? sshconfdir : libexecdir / 'ssh_config.d')
 
-        if conf.get('LINK_SSH_PROXY_DROPIN') == 1
+        if (not sshconfdir.startswith(sysconfdir) or install_sysconfdir) and conf.get('LINK_SSH_PROXY_DROPIN') == 1
                 if meson.version().version_compare('>=1.3.0')
                         install_symlink(
                                 '20-systemd-ssh-proxy.conf',
diff --git a/src/userdb/meson.build b/src/userdb/meson.build
index 4bb8ac17a69..a933a4907b3 100644
--- a/src/userdb/meson.build
+++ b/src/userdb/meson.build
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_SSH_USERDB_CONFIG') == 1
                 install : true,
                 install_dir : sshdconfdir.startswith('/usr/') ? sshdconfdir : libexecdir / 'sshd_config.d')
 
-        if conf.get('LINK_SSHD_USERDB_DROPIN') == 1
+        if (not sshdconfdir.startswith(sysconfdir) or install_sysconfdir) and conf.get('LINK_SSHD_USERDB_DROPIN') == 1
                 if meson.version().version_compare('>=1.3.0')
                         install_symlink(
                                 '20-systemd-userdb.conf',