diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 590675d254..8af9cfd1b6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -770,20 +770,29 @@ install.docker-full: install.docker install.docker-docs
 
 .PHONY: install.systemd
 ifneq (,$(findstring systemd,$(BUILDTAGS)))
-install.systemd:
+PODMAN_UNIT_FILES = contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.service \
+		    contrib/systemd/system/podman.service \
+		    contrib/systemd/system/podman-restart.service
+
+%.service: %.service.in
+	sed -e 's;@@PODMAN@@;$(BINDIR)/podman;g' $< >$@.tmp.$$ \
+		&& mv -f $@.tmp.$$ $@
+
+install.systemd: $(PODMAN_UNIT_FILES)
 	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 755 -d ${DESTDIR}${SYSTEMDDIR}  ${DESTDIR}${USERSYSTEMDDIR}
 	# User services
 	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.service ${DESTDIR}${USERSYSTEMDDIR}/podman-auto-update.service
 	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.timer ${DESTDIR}${USERSYSTEMDDIR}/podman-auto-update.timer
-	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/user/podman.socket ${DESTDIR}${USERSYSTEMDDIR}/podman.socket
-	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/user/podman.service ${DESTDIR}${USERSYSTEMDDIR}/podman.service
-	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/user/podman-restart.service ${DESTDIR}${USERSYSTEMDDIR}/podman-restart.service
+	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/system/podman.socket ${DESTDIR}${USERSYSTEMDDIR}/podman.socket
+	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/system/podman.service ${DESTDIR}${USERSYSTEMDDIR}/podman.service
+	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/system/podman-restart.service ${DESTDIR}${USERSYSTEMDDIR}/podman-restart.service
 	# System services
 	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.service ${DESTDIR}${SYSTEMDDIR}/podman-auto-update.service
 	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.timer ${DESTDIR}${SYSTEMDDIR}/podman-auto-update.timer
 	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/system/podman.socket ${DESTDIR}${SYSTEMDDIR}/podman.socket
 	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/system/podman.service ${DESTDIR}${SYSTEMDDIR}/podman.service
 	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 contrib/systemd/system/podman-restart.service ${DESTDIR}${SYSTEMDDIR}/podman-restart.service
+	rm -f $(PODMAN_UNIT_FILES)
 else
 install.systemd:
 endif
diff --git a/contrib/spec/podman.spec.in b/contrib/spec/podman.spec.in
index fa513932ff..3a40260387 100644
--- a/contrib/spec/podman.spec.in
+++ b/contrib/spec/podman.spec.in
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ BUILDTAGS=$BUILDTAGS make binaries
 %install
 install -dp %{buildroot}%{_unitdir}
 install -dp %{buildroot}%{_usr}/lib/systemd/user
-PODMAN_VERSION=%{version} %{__make} PREFIX=%{buildroot}%{_prefix} ETCDIR=%{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir} \
+PODMAN_VERSION=%{version} %{__make} DESTDIR=%{buildroot} PREFIX=%{_prefix} ETCDIR=%{_sysconfdir} \
         install.bin-nobuild \
         install.remote-nobuild \
 %if %{with doc}
diff --git a/contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.service b/contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.service.in
similarity index 72%
rename from contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.service
rename to contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.service.in
index dc5fac8cfe..de4460d60c 100644
--- a/contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.service
+++ b/contrib/systemd/auto-update/podman-auto-update.service.in
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ After=network-online.target
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
-ExecStart=/usr/bin/podman auto-update
-ExecStartPost=/usr/bin/podman image prune -f
+ExecStart=@@PODMAN@@ auto-update
+ExecStartPost=@@PODMAN@@ image prune -f
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target default.target
diff --git a/contrib/systemd/system/podman-restart.service b/contrib/systemd/system/podman-restart.service.in
similarity index 75%
rename from contrib/systemd/system/podman-restart.service
rename to contrib/systemd/system/podman-restart.service.in
index baf12b3aed..a2951e1116 100644
--- a/contrib/systemd/system/podman-restart.service
+++ b/contrib/systemd/system/podman-restart.service.in
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ StartLimitIntervalSec=0
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
 Environment=LOGGING="--log-level=info"
-ExecStart=/usr/bin/podman $LOGGING start --all --filter restart-policy=always
+ExecStart=@@PODMAN@@ $LOGGING start --all --filter restart-policy=always
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/contrib/systemd/system/podman.service b/contrib/systemd/system/podman.service.in
similarity index 84%
rename from contrib/systemd/system/podman.service
rename to contrib/systemd/system/podman.service.in
index cefb13ae39..132671dffc 100644
--- a/contrib/systemd/system/podman.service
+++ b/contrib/systemd/system/podman.service.in
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ StartLimitIntervalSec=0
 Type=exec
 KillMode=process
 Environment=LOGGING="--log-level=info"
-ExecStart=/usr/bin/podman $LOGGING system service
+ExecStart=@@PODMAN@@ $LOGGING system service
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=multi-user.target