diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 171c3dda73..8b1871523f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -828,15 +828,10 @@ endif
 conf.set_quoted('SYSTEMD_DEFAULT_LOCALE', default_locale)
 
 localegen_path = get_option('localegen-path')
-have = false
-writable = ''
 if localegen_path != ''
         conf.set_quoted('LOCALEGEN_PATH', localegen_path)
-        have = true
-        writable = ' /usr/lib/locale'
 endif
-conf.set_quoted('SERVICE_LOCALEGEN_WRITABLE', writable)
-conf.set10('HAVE_LOCALEGEN', have)
+conf.set10('HAVE_LOCALEGEN', localegen_path != '')
 
 conf.set_quoted('GETTEXT_PACKAGE', meson.project_name())
 
diff --git a/units/systemd-localed.service.in b/units/systemd-localed.service.in
index abd32266ae..f9a92fef7b 100644
--- a/units/systemd-localed.service.in
+++ b/units/systemd-localed.service.in
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ ProtectKernelLogs=yes
 ProtectKernelModules=yes
 ProtectKernelTunables=yes
 ProtectSystem=strict
-ReadWritePaths=/etc{{SERVICE_LOCALEGEN_WRITABLE}}
+ReadWritePaths=/etc
+{% if HAVE_LOCALEGEN %}
+ReadWritePaths=/usr/lib/locale
+{% endif %}
 RestrictAddressFamilies=AF_UNIX
 RestrictNamespaces=yes
 RestrictRealtime=yes