diff --git a/docs/PORTABILITY_AND_STABILITY.md b/docs/PORTABILITY_AND_STABILITY.md
index 7de60066e4..da545f7c01 100644
--- a/docs/PORTABILITY_AND_STABILITY.md
+++ b/docs/PORTABILITY_AND_STABILITY.md
@@ -71,8 +71,7 @@ Note that the promise of stability applies only after an interface has been part
   `emergency.target`,
   `poweroff.target`,
   `reboot.target`,
-  `halt.target`,
-  `runlevel[1-5].target`.
+  `halt.target`.
 
 We try to always preserve backward compatibility in programmatic interfaces
 and intentional breakage is never introduced.
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index e091631ca8..67c495155d 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1597,6 +1597,7 @@ foreach tuple : [
                 ['backlight'],
                 ['binfmt'],
                 ['compat-mutable-uid-boundaries'],
+                ['compat-sysv-interfaces'],
                 ['coredump'],
                 ['efi'],
                 ['environment-d'],
@@ -3185,6 +3186,7 @@ foreach tuple : [
         ['html pages',             want_html],
         ['man page indices',       want_man and have_lxml],
         ['compat-mutable-uid-boundaries'],
+        ['compat-sysv-interfaces'],
         ['utmp'],
         ['ldconfig'],
         ['adm group',              get_option('adm-group')],
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 93c264488c..4d13d2866d 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ option('initrd', type : 'boolean',
        description : 'install services for use when running systemd in initrd')
 option('compat-mutable-uid-boundaries', type : 'boolean', value : false,
        description : 'look at uid boundaries in /etc/login.defs for compatibility')
+option('compat-sysv-interfaces', type : 'boolean', value : true,
+       description : 'keep legacy SysV interfaces for compatibility')
 
 option('quotaon-path', type : 'string', description : 'path to quotaon')
 option('quotacheck-path', type : 'string', description : 'path to quotacheck')
diff --git a/units/meson.build b/units/meson.build
index d64edec884..113a935c90 100644
--- a/units/meson.build
+++ b/units/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
 
+runlevels = conf.get('ENABLE_COMPAT_SYSV_INTERFACES') == 1
+
 units = [
         { 'file' : 'basic.target' },
         { 'file' : 'blockdev@.target' },
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ units = [
         { 'file' : 'getty@.service.in' },
         {
           'file' : 'graphical.target',
-          'symlinks' : ['default.target'],
+          'symlinks' : ['default.target'] + (runlevels ? ['runlevel5.target'] : []),
         },
         { 'file' : 'halt.target' },
         {
@@ -139,7 +141,10 @@ units = [
           'conditions' : ['ENABLE_MACHINED'],
         },
         { 'file' : 'modprobe@.service' },
-        { 'file' : 'multi-user.target' },
+        {
+          'file' : 'multi-user.target',
+          'symlinks' : runlevels ? ['runlevel2.target', 'runlevel3.target', 'runlevel4.target'] : [],
+        },
         {
           'file' : 'systemd-mute-console.socket',
           'symlinks' : ['sockets.target.wants/']
@@ -152,7 +157,10 @@ units = [
         { 'file' : 'nss-lookup.target' },
         { 'file' : 'nss-user-lookup.target' },
         { 'file' : 'paths.target' },
-        { 'file' : 'poweroff.target' },
+        {
+          'file' : 'poweroff.target',
+          'symlinks' : runlevels ? ['runlevel0.target'] : [],
+        },
         { 'file' : 'printer.target' },
         {
           'file' : 'proc-sys-fs-binfmt_misc.automount',
@@ -173,7 +181,7 @@ units = [
         },
         {
           'file' : 'reboot.target',
-          'symlinks' : ['ctrl-alt-del.target'],
+          'symlinks' : ['ctrl-alt-del.target'] + (runlevels ? ['runlevel6.target'] : []),
         },
         {
           'file' : 'remote-cryptsetup.target',
@@ -193,7 +201,10 @@ units = [
           'symlinks' : ['initrd-root-device.target.wants/'],
         },
         { 'file' : 'rescue.service.in' },
-        { 'file' : 'rescue.target' },
+        {
+          'file' : 'rescue.target',
+          'symlinks' : runlevels ? ['runlevel1.target'] : [],
+        },
         { 'file' : 'rpcbind.target' },
         { 'file' : 'serial-getty@.service.in' },
         { 'file' : 'shutdown.target' },