diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f3b3d31c..8329db6f 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -65,4 +65,5 @@ release: distcheck
 
 DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS = --prefix=/usr --sysconfdir=/etc --localstatedir=/var \
 			    --enable-testserv-plugin --enable-x11-common-plugin  \
-			    --with-fstab=/etc/fstab --with-bash-completion-dir=no
+			    --with-fstab=/etc/fstab --with-libsystemd            \
+			    --with-bash-completion-dir=no
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8305d72d..d0098860 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -191,8 +191,8 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(watchdog,
 	[watchdog=$withval], [with_watchdog=yes watchdog=yes])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH(libsystemd,
-        AS_HELP_STRING([--without-libsystemd], [Skip replacement libsystemd library, default: yes]),
-	[with_libsystemd=$withval], [with_libsystemd=yes])
+        AS_HELP_STRING([--with-libsystemd], [Build replacement libsystemd library, default: no]),
+	[with_libsystemd=$withval], [with_libsystemd=no])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH(hook-scripts-path,
         AS_HELP_STRING([--with-hook-scripts-path=DIR], [Base directory for hook scripts, default $libexecdir/finit/hook]),
diff --git a/doc/ChangeLog.md b/doc/ChangeLog.md
index 8b6b2d33..f4c2b86b 100644
--- a/doc/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/doc/ChangeLog.md
@@ -69,12 +69,10 @@ All relevant changes are documented in this file.
   `tmpfiles.d/dbus.conf`, so both can be overridden from `/etc` like any other
   system file.  Those directories are no longer chowned to `messagebus`,
   matching how Finit ships directories for other daemons
-- The bundled `sulogin` and `watchdogd`, and the replacement `libsystemd`,
-  are now built and installed by default, like keventd and the D-Bus
-  support.  `--without-sulogin`, `--without-watchdog`, and
-  `--without-libsystemd` opt out.  Note, Finit starts `watchdogd` by
-  itself when the WDT device node exists, and `libsystemd.so` is
-  installed to `$libdir`, where a system with systemd already has one
+- The bundled `sulogin` and `watchdogd` are now built and installed by
+  default, like keventd and the D-Bus support.  `--without-sulogin` and
+  `--without-watchdog` opt out.  Note, Finit starts `watchdogd` by itself
+  when the WDT device node exists
 - The `tty` block takes `passenv`, which the line-based format has had since
   v4.4 (issue #286) and the block format was missing
 - New `provides` setting for run/task/service/sysv blocks, naming conditions
diff --git a/doc/build.md b/doc/build.md
index d843cf08..764890c6 100644
--- a/doc/build.md
+++ b/doc/build.md
@@ -89,10 +89,13 @@ Below are a few of the main switches to configure:
   on `/dev/watchdog`, `--with-watchdog=DEV` selects another device.
   Finit starts it when the device node exists, see [Watchdog](watchdog.md).
 
-* `--without-libsystemd`: Drop the replacement `libsystemd`, built and
-  installed by default, which lets programs that use `sd_notify()` talk
-  to Finit without systemd.  Note, it installs `libsystemd.so` in
-  `$libdir`, where a system with systemd already has one.
+* `--with-libsystemd`: Build the replacement `libsystemd`, which lets
+  programs that use `sd_notify()` talk to Finit without systemd.  Off by
+  default because it installs `libsystemd.so.0` in `$libdir`: on a host
+  that has the real one, ours shadows it in the loader cache and every
+  program linking it, `dbus-daemon` and `udevd` included, loses the
+  symbols it needs.  Safe on a systemd-free system, which is the point
+  of it.
 
 For more configure flags, see <kbd>./configure --help</kbd>