diff --git a/m4/systemd.m4 b/m4/systemd.m4
index c47a25ef93..5fb5a7089e 100644
--- a/m4/systemd.m4
+++ b/m4/systemd.m4
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([AX_CHECK_SYSTEMD_LIBS], [
 	], [])
 
 	AS_IF([test "x$SYSTEMD_SLEEP_DIR" = x], [
-	    AC_MSG_ERROR([SYSTEMD_SLEEP_DIR is unset])
+	    SYSTEMD_SLEEP_DIR="\$(prefix)/lib/systemd/system-sleep/"
 	], [])
 ])
 
diff --git a/tools/configure b/tools/configure
index d460f25529..d6b3487737 100755
--- a/tools/configure
+++ b/tools/configure
@@ -10360,7 +10360,7 @@ fi
 	if test "x$SYSTEMD_SLEEP_DIR" = x
 then :
 
-	    as_fn_error $? "SYSTEMD_SLEEP_DIR is unset" "$LINENO" 5
+	    SYSTEMD_SLEEP_DIR="\$(prefix)/lib/systemd/system-sleep/"
 
 fi