diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 7ff1bc411fcbaa5b8cb235d06da43455ec0ce81a..5519994dd0bec87d651f927fa59c77fe183d0951 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ Uploaders: Micah Anderson <micah@riseup.net>,
  intrigeri <intrigeri@debian.org>,
  Jerome Charaoui <jerome@riseup.net>
 Build-Depends:
- debhelper (>= 10)
+ debhelper (>= 10),
+ pkg-config
 Build-Conflicts: autoconf2.13
 Standards-Version: 4.1.4
 Homepage: https://0xacab.org/riseuplabs/backupninja
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 9fcab82e3e9946d4565f662dbae45c5041000edf..dad49733555e617e123b266f62ea63122315b577 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -1,22 +1,32 @@
 #!/usr/bin/make -f
 # -*- makefile -*-
 
+SYSTEMD_DIR := $(shell pkg-config systemd --variable=systemdsystemunitdir)
+
 PACKAGE = backupninja
 TMP = $(CURDIR)/debian/$(PACKAGE)
 
 %:
 	dh $@
 
+override_dh_clean:
+	dh_auto_clean
+	rm -f debian/backupninja.service
+	rm -f debian/backupninja.timer
+
 override_dh_auto_configure:
 	dh_auto_configure -- \
 	   --libdir=\$${prefix}/lib \
-	   --libexecdir=\$${prefix}/lib
+	   --libexecdir=\$${prefix}/lib \
+	   --with-systemdsystemunitdir=$(SYSTEMD_DIR)
 
 override_dh_auto_install:
 	dh_auto_install
 	chmod a-x $(TMP)/usr/lib/backupninja/parseini
 	chmod a-x $(TMP)/usr/lib/backupninja/vserver
 	rm $(TMP)/usr/share/backupninja/example.*
+	cp systemd/backupninja.service debian
+	cp systemd/backupninja.timer debian
 
 override_dh_compress:
 	dh_compress -Xexample
@@ -27,4 +37,3 @@ override_dh_fixperms:
 
 override_dh_installchangelogs:
 	dh_installchangelogs ChangeLog
-