diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 10ce9eb2b9fe97d4386a52818eebd361e6291887..829f1e17398e1a141f98e6c0b28bfebcc901487c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1 @@
-if WITH_SYSTEMD
-systemd_cflags = -DSYSTEMD
-endif
-
-reboot_daemon_CFLAGS= ${systemd_cflags}
-
 bin_PROGRAMS = reboot-daemon
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9373a8b49dd53c600dfb8b302c8606c9eab00c82..1e9e925e5b29e385d81d257fa48b8ccd15fcc2f8 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ AC_PROG_CC
 # Checks for header files.
 AC_CHECK_HEADERS([sys/types.h sys/stat.h unistd.h string.h fcntl.h errno.h stdio.h])
 
-AM_CONDITIONAL(WITH_SYSTEMD, test "x${with_systemd}" = "xyes")
-
 # Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
 AC_TYPE_OFF_T
 AC_TYPE_SIZE_T
diff --git a/reboot-daemon.c b/reboot-daemon.c
index 700ed7352d6187956e9f5d3fff972e0e4d302132..b8e113073a4dd2c9aa000e2cc4e441de470498c6 100644
--- a/reboot-daemon.c
+++ b/reboot-daemon.c
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ int main() {
     char buf[MAX_BUF]; // buffer to store read data in
     int read_count; //numbef of characters read
 
-    #ifndef SYSTEMD
     /* delete the fifo if it already exists */
     debug_printf("Unlinking\n");
     if(unlink(FIFO_NAME) == -1) {
@@ -90,7 +89,6 @@ int main() {
         debug_printf("chown failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         return 1;
     }
-    #endif
 
     /* read and open forever */
     while(1) {