diff --git a/data/Makefile.am b/data/Makefile.am
index e3608a12cc93490fa699f771043190dde44e452c..767413496dbc96a3b416357a4b579be5ca182b68 100644
--- a/data/Makefile.am
+++ b/data/Makefile.am
@@ -11,12 +11,17 @@ gsettings_SCHEMAS = $(gsettings_schema_files)
 
 servicedir       = $(datadir)/dbus-1/services
 service_in_files = org.gnome.OnlineAccounts.service.in
+systemduserunitdir = $(prefix)/lib/systemd/user
+systemd_service_in_files = goa-daemon.service.in
 
 if BUILD_KERBEROS
 service_in_files += org.gnome.Identity.service.in
+systemd_service_in_files += goa-identity-service.service.in
 endif
 
 service_DATA     = $(service_in_files:.service.in=.service)
+systemduserunit_DATA = $(systemd_service_in_files:.service.in=.service)
+
 %.service: %.service.in Makefile
 	@sed -e "s|\@libexecdir\@|$(libexecdir)|" $< > $@
 endif
@@ -24,11 +29,15 @@ endif
 EXTRA_DIST =						\
 	$(gsettings_schema_files)			\
 	dbus-interfaces.xml				\
+	goa-daemon.service.in				\
+	goa-identity-service.service.in			\
 	org.gnome.Identity.service.in			\
 	org.gnome.OnlineAccounts.service.in		\
 	$(NULL)
 
 CLEANFILES =						\
+	goa-daemon.service				\
+	goa-identity-service.service			\
 	org.gnome.OnlineAccounts.service		\
 	org.gnome.Identity.service			\
 	$(NULL)
diff --git a/data/goa-daemon.service.in b/data/goa-daemon.service.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..764414d3b820671e73f10d2890edaed41feb83c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/goa-daemon.service.in
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=GNOME Online Accounts service
+# Terminate automatically on logout from GUI session
+PartOf=graphical-session.target
+
+[Service]
+ExecStart=@libexecdir@/goa-daemon
+Type=dbus
+BusName=org.gnome.OnlineAccounts
+TimeoutStopSec=5
diff --git a/data/goa-identity-service.service.in b/data/goa-identity-service.service.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9a7b2757e7159676d7be405775486ad60e7ae8bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/goa-identity-service.service.in
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=GNOME identity service for Kerberos
+# Terminate automatically on logout from GUI session
+PartOf=graphical-session.target
+
+[Service]
+ExecStart=@libexecdir@/goa-identity-service
+Type=dbus
+BusName=org.gnome.Identity
+TimeoutStopSec=5
diff --git a/data/meson.build b/data/meson.build
index a62f8e8d2ee872152b87a1871d4e5f789f5a2cc9..42cb8ffab845d5eecb0b89e3deb50e629a70642c 100644
--- a/data/meson.build
+++ b/data/meson.build
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ if enable_goabackend
   )
 
   services = ['org.gnome.OnlineAccounts.service']
+  systemd_services = ['goa-daemon.service']
   if enable_kerberos
     services += 'org.gnome.Identity.service'
+    systemd_services += ['goa-identity-service.service']
   endif
 
   service_conf = configuration_data()
@@ -25,4 +27,14 @@ if enable_goabackend
       install_dir: dbus_service_dir
     )
   endforeach
+
+  foreach service: systemd_services
+    configure_file(
+      input: service + '.in',
+      output: service,
+      configuration: service_conf,
+      install: true,
+      install_dir: systemd_userunitdir
+    )
+  endforeach
 endif
diff --git a/data/org.gnome.Identity.service.in b/data/org.gnome.Identity.service.in
index bd3b03225ab61485ceb28f060eacedca318eda0a..f70948e8284bdaf1fb4c8797c133df7de48c11e0 100644
--- a/data/org.gnome.Identity.service.in
+++ b/data/org.gnome.Identity.service.in
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 [D-BUS Service]
 Name=org.gnome.Identity
 Exec=@libexecdir@/goa-identity-service
+SystemdService=goa-identity-service.service
diff --git a/data/org.gnome.OnlineAccounts.service.in b/data/org.gnome.OnlineAccounts.service.in
index ff2b976ab169ca3025a98ec4478df665491132f9..9d8df1115542703bf0511687dd3baf73dd4bd183 100644
--- a/data/org.gnome.OnlineAccounts.service.in
+++ b/data/org.gnome.OnlineAccounts.service.in
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 [D-BUS Service]
 Name=org.gnome.OnlineAccounts
 Exec=@libexecdir@/goa-daemon
+SystemdService=goa-daemon.service
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index c3d54c8f2519d683fa514d0add558645b3513e00..f3cffc7274711f22961673fdd358888ac3e31bd2 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -86,6 +86,20 @@ dbus_dep = dependency('dbus-1')
 dbus_service_dir = dbus_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('session_bus_services_dir',
                                                    define_variable: ['datadir', goa_datadir])
 
+systemd_userunitdir = get_option('systemduserunitdir')
+
+if systemd_userunitdir == ''
+  systemd_dep = dependency('systemd', required: false)
+
+  if systemd_dep.found()
+    systemd_userunitdir = systemd_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('systemduserunitdir')
+  else
+    # Fall back to the upstream default.
+    # Note that this is always 'lib', even if libdir is something else
+    systemd_userunitdir = join_paths(goa_prefix, 'lib', 'systemd', 'user')
+  endif
+endif
+
 # Libraries
 # introspection support
 enable_introspection = get_option('introspection')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 08c65ecd270af4687b1b4b2cbc2c5f3afc99016e..6cd6219b2f0447a54c7fb817b93513e20c3cac18 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -39,3 +39,4 @@ option('introspection', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'Enable GObje
 option('man', type: 'boolean', value: false, description: 'enable man pages')
 option('template_file', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Path to the template file')
 option('vapi', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'build Vala binding')
+option('systemduserunitdir', type: 'string', value: '', description: 'Override systemd user unit directory')