diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 499f0f4d79..f17c8798cc 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -204,11 +204,13 @@ sshconfdir = get_option('sshconfdir')
 if sshconfdir == ''
         sshconfdir = sysconfdir / 'ssh/ssh_config.d'
 endif
+conf.set10('LINK_SSH_PROXY_DROPIN', sshconfdir != 'no' and not sshconfdir.startswith('/usr/'))
 
 sshdconfdir = get_option('sshdconfdir')
 if sshdconfdir == ''
         sshdconfdir = sysconfdir / 'ssh/sshd_config.d'
 endif
+conf.set10('LINK_SSHD_USERDB_DROPIN', sshdconfdir != 'no' and not sshdconfdir.startswith('/usr/'))
 
 sshdprivsepdir = get_option('sshdprivsepdir')
 conf.set10('CREATE_SSHDPRIVSEPDIR', sshdprivsepdir != 'no' and not sshdprivsepdir.startswith('/usr/'))
diff --git a/src/ssh-generator/meson.build b/src/ssh-generator/meson.build
index ab01da3c05..d5413f71ab 100644
--- a/src/ssh-generator/meson.build
+++ b/src/ssh-generator/meson.build
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_SSH_PROXY_CONFIG') == 1
                 output : '20-systemd-ssh-proxy.conf',
                 command : [jinja2_cmdline, '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'],
                 install : true,
-                install_dir : libexecdir / 'ssh_config.d')
+                install_dir : sshconfdir.startswith('/usr/') ? sshconfdir : libexecdir / 'ssh_config.d')
 
-        install_emptydir(sshconfdir)
+        if not sshconfdir.startswith('/usr/')
+                install_emptydir(sshconfdir)
 
-        meson.add_install_script(sh, '-c',
-                ln_s.format(libexecdir / 'ssh_config.d' / '20-systemd-ssh-proxy.conf', sshconfdir / '20-systemd-ssh-proxy.conf'))
+                meson.add_install_script(sh, '-c',
+                        ln_s.format(libexecdir / 'ssh_config.d' / '20-systemd-ssh-proxy.conf', sshconfdir / '20-systemd-ssh-proxy.conf'))
+        endif
 endif
diff --git a/src/userdb/meson.build b/src/userdb/meson.build
index 35303533c3..413f2bea9f 100644
--- a/src/userdb/meson.build
+++ b/src/userdb/meson.build
@@ -31,10 +31,12 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_SSH_USERDB_CONFIG') == 1
                 output : '20-systemd-userdb.conf',
                 command : [jinja2_cmdline, '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'],
                 install : true,
-                install_dir : libexecdir / 'sshd_config.d')
+                install_dir : sshdconfdir.startswith('/usr/') ? sshdconfdir : libexecdir / 'sshd_config.d')
 
-        install_emptydir(sshdconfdir)
+        if not sshdconfdir.startswith('/usr/')
+                install_emptydir(sshdconfdir)
 
-        meson.add_install_script(sh, '-c',
-                ln_s.format(libexecdir / 'sshd_config.d' / '20-systemd-userdb.conf', sshdconfdir / '20-systemd-userdb.conf'))
+                meson.add_install_script(sh, '-c',
+                        ln_s.format(libexecdir / 'sshd_config.d' / '20-systemd-userdb.conf', sshdconfdir / '20-systemd-userdb.conf'))
+        endif
 endif
diff --git a/tmpfiles.d/20-systemd-ssh-generator.conf.in b/tmpfiles.d/20-systemd-ssh-generator.conf.in
index 6d1a6a3e31..dbe354a2d2 100644
--- a/tmpfiles.d/20-systemd-ssh-generator.conf.in
+++ b/tmpfiles.d/20-systemd-ssh-generator.conf.in
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 
 # See tmpfiles.d(5) for details
 
+{% if LINK_SSH_PROXY_DROPIN %}
 L {{SSHCONFDIR}}/20-systemd-ssh-proxy.conf - - - - {{LIBEXECDIR}}/ssh_config.d/20-systemd-ssh-proxy.conf
+{% endif %}
 {% if CREATE_SSHDPRIVSEPDIR %}
 d {{SSHDPRIVSEPDIR}} 0755
 {% endif %}
diff --git a/tmpfiles.d/20-systemd-userdb.conf.in b/tmpfiles.d/20-systemd-userdb.conf.in
index 1ef7a9e8bc..c344c1b9e7 100644
--- a/tmpfiles.d/20-systemd-userdb.conf.in
+++ b/tmpfiles.d/20-systemd-userdb.conf.in
@@ -7,4 +7,6 @@
 
 # See tmpfiles.d(5) for details
 
+{% if LINK_SSHD_USERDB_DROPIN %}
 L {{SSHDCONFDIR}}/20-systemd-userdb.conf - - - - {{LIBEXECDIR}}/sshd_config.d/20-systemd-userdb.conf
+{% endif %}