diff --git a/src/core/meson.build b/src/core/meson.build
index e703cc3728..391dc45a6b 100644
--- a/src/core/meson.build
+++ b/src/core/meson.build
@@ -170,11 +170,14 @@ systemd_sources = files(
         'apparmor-setup.c',
         'ima-setup.c',
         'ipe-setup.c',
-        'selinux-setup.c',
         'smack-setup.c',
         'efi-random.c',
 )
 
+if conf.get('HAVE_SELINUX') == 1
+        systemd_sources += files('selinux-setup.c')
+endif
+
 systemd_executor_sources = files(
         'executor.c',
         'exec-invoke.c',
diff --git a/src/core/selinux-setup.c b/src/core/selinux-setup.c
index 6f78346036..17905de2c7 100644
--- a/src/core/selinux-setup.c
+++ b/src/core/selinux-setup.c
@@ -13,11 +13,10 @@
 #include "time-util.h"
 
 int mac_selinux_setup(bool *loaded_policy) {
-        assert(loaded_policy);
-
-#if HAVE_SELINUX
         int r;
 
+        assert(loaded_policy);
+
         r = dlopen_libselinux();
         if (r < 0) {
                 log_debug_errno(r, "No SELinux library available, skipping setup.");
@@ -92,7 +91,6 @@ int mac_selinux_setup(bool *loaded_policy) {
                 } else
                         log_debug("Unable to load SELinux policy. Ignoring.");
         }
-#endif
 
         return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/selinux-setup.h b/src/core/selinux-setup.h
index 3dad97bbf6..dd961b0370 100644
--- a/src/core/selinux-setup.h
+++ b/src/core/selinux-setup.h
@@ -3,4 +3,10 @@
 
 #include "core-forward.h"
 
+#if HAVE_SELINUX
 int mac_selinux_setup(bool *loaded_policy);
+#else
+static inline int mac_selinux_setup(bool *loaded_policy) {
+        return 0;
+}
+#endif