diff --git a/docs/var-log/README b/docs/var-log/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5c6c5924b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/var-log/README
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+You are looking for the traditional text log files in /var/log, and they are
+gone?
+
+Here's an explanation on what's going on:
+
+You are running a systemd-based OS where traditional syslog has been replaced
+with the Journal. The journal stores the same (and more) information as classic
+syslog. To make use of the journal and access the collected log data simply
+invoke "journalctl", which will output the logs in the identical text-based
+format the syslog files in /var/log used to be. For further details, please
+refer to journalctl(1).
+
+Alternatively, consider installing one of the traditional syslog
+implementations available for your distribution, which will generate the
+classic log files for you. Syslog implementations such as syslog-ng or rsyslog
+may be installed side-by-side with the journal and will continue to function
+the way they always did.
+
+Thank you!
+
+Further reading:
+        man:journalctl(1)
+        man:systemd-journald.service(8)
+        man:journald.conf(5)
+        http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/the-journal.html
diff --git a/docs/var-log/README.in b/docs/var-log/README.in
deleted file mode 100644
index 2e64fb196a..0000000000
--- a/docs/var-log/README.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-You are looking for the traditional text log files in @VARLOGDIR@, and
-they are gone?
-
-Here's an explanation on what's going on:
-
-You are running a systemd-based OS where traditional syslog has been
-replaced with the Journal. The journal stores the same (and more)
-information as classic syslog. To make use of the journal and access
-the collected log data simply invoke "journalctl", which will output
-the logs in the identical text-based format the syslog files in
-@VARLOGDIR@ used to be. For further details, please refer to
-journalctl(1).
-
-Alternatively, consider installing one of the traditional syslog
-implementations available for your distribution, which will generate
-the classic log files for you. Syslog implementations such as
-syslog-ng or rsyslog may be installed side-by-side with the journal
-and will continue to function the way they always did.
-
-Thank you!
-
-Further reading:
-        man:journalctl(1)
-        man:systemd-journald.service(8)
-        man:journald.conf(5)
-        http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/the-journal.html
diff --git a/docs/var-log/meson.build b/docs/var-log/meson.build
index 0ddff20ce5..81b7865438 100644
--- a/docs/var-log/meson.build
+++ b/docs/var-log/meson.build
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1+
 
-file = configure_file(
-        input : 'README.in',
-        output : 'README',
-        configuration : substs)
-
-if conf.get('HAVE_SYSV_COMPAT') == 1
-        install_data(file,
-                     install_dir : varlogdir)
+if conf.get('HAVE_SYSV_COMPAT') == 1 and get_option('create-log-dirs')
+        install_data('README',
+                     install_dir : '/var/log')
 endif
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 3988fb76bd..3a936947bb 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -113,7 +113,6 @@ pkgconfiglibdir = get_option('pkgconfiglibdir') == '' ? join_paths(libdir, 'pkgc
 polkitpolicydir = join_paths(datadir, 'polkit-1/actions')
 polkitrulesdir = join_paths(datadir, 'polkit-1/rules.d')
 polkitpkladir = join_paths(localstatedir, 'lib/polkit-1/localauthority/10-vendor.d')
-varlogdir = join_paths(localstatedir, 'log')
 xinitrcdir = join_paths(sysconfdir, 'X11/xinit/xinitrc.d')
 rpmmacrosdir = get_option('rpmmacrosdir')
 if rpmmacrosdir != 'no'
@@ -272,7 +271,6 @@ substs.set('systemenvgeneratordir',                           systemenvgenerator
 substs.set('userenvgeneratordir',                             userenvgeneratordir)
 substs.set('systemshutdowndir',                               systemshutdowndir)
 substs.set('systemsleepdir',                                  systemsleepdir)
-substs.set('VARLOGDIR',                                       varlogdir)
 substs.set('CERTIFICATEROOT',                                 get_option('certificate-root'))
 substs.set('SYSTEMCTL',                                       join_paths(rootbindir, 'systemctl'))
 substs.set('RANDOM_SEED',                                     join_paths(randomseeddir, 'random-seed'))
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index e56d33760b..7c8a769bbc 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ option('timesyncd', type : 'boolean',
        description : 'install the systemd-timesyncd daemon')
 option('remote', type : 'combo', choices : ['auto', 'true', 'false'],
        description : 'support for "journal over the network"')
+option('create-log-dirs', type : 'boolean',
+       description : 'create /var/log/journal{,/remote}')
 option('nss-myhostname', type : 'boolean',
        description : 'install nss-myhostname module')
 option('nss-mymachines', type : 'combo', choices : ['auto', 'true', 'false'],
diff --git a/src/journal-remote/meson.build b/src/journal-remote/meson.build
index 2887daa4bf..87b8ba6495 100644
--- a/src/journal-remote/meson.build
+++ b/src/journal-remote/meson.build
@@ -63,9 +63,11 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_REMOTE') == 1 and conf.get('HAVE_MICROHTTPD') == 1
         install_data('browse.html',
                      install_dir : join_paths(pkgdatadir, 'gatewayd'))
 
-        meson.add_install_script('sh', '-c',
-                                 mkdir_p.format('/var/log/journal/remote'))
-        meson.add_install_script('sh', '-c',
-                                 '''chown 0:0 $DESTDIR/var/log/journal/remote &&
-                                    chmod 755 $DESTDIR/var/log/journal/remote || :''')
+        if get_option('create-log-dirs')
+                meson.add_install_script('sh', '-c',
+                                         mkdir_p.format('/var/log/journal/remote'))
+                meson.add_install_script('sh', '-c',
+                                         '''chown 0:0 $DESTDIR/var/log/journal/remote &&
+                                            chmod 755 $DESTDIR/var/log/journal/remote || :''')
+        endif
 endif
diff --git a/src/journal/meson.build b/src/journal/meson.build
index e03d6dc232..5796f77cac 100644
--- a/src/journal/meson.build
+++ b/src/journal/meson.build
@@ -111,20 +111,22 @@ endif
 install_data('journald.conf',
              install_dir : pkgsysconfdir)
 
-meson.add_install_script(
-        'sh', '-c',
-        mkdir_p.format('/var/log/journal'))
-meson.add_install_script(
-        'sh', '-c',
-        '''chown 0:0 $DESTDIR/var/log/journal &&
-         chmod 755 $DESTDIR/var/log/journal || :''')
-if get_option('adm-group')
+if get_option('create-log-dirs')
         meson.add_install_script(
                 'sh', '-c',
-                'setfacl -nm g:adm:rx,d:g:adm:rx $DESTDIR/var/log/journal || :')
-endif
-if get_option('wheel-group')
+                mkdir_p.format('/var/log/journal'))
         meson.add_install_script(
                 'sh', '-c',
-                'setfacl -nm g:wheel:rx,d:g:wheel:rx $DESTDIR/var/log/journal || :')
+                '''chown 0:0 $DESTDIR/var/log/journal &&
+                   chmod 755 $DESTDIR/var/log/journal || :''')
+        if get_option('adm-group')
+                meson.add_install_script(
+                        'sh', '-c',
+                        'setfacl -nm g:adm:rx,d:g:adm:rx $DESTDIR/var/log/journal || :')
+        endif
+        if get_option('wheel-group')
+                meson.add_install_script(
+                        'sh', '-c',
+                        'setfacl -nm g:wheel:rx,d:g:wheel:rx $DESTDIR/var/log/journal || :')
+        endif
 endif