diff --git a/mlocate.spec b/mlocate.spec
index 4fcd4b0..0918a8b 100644
--- a/mlocate.spec
+++ b/mlocate.spec
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 Summary: An utility for finding files by name
 Name: mlocate
 Version: 0.26
-Release: 30%{?dist}
+Release: 31%{?dist}
 License: GPLv2
 URL: https://fedorahosted.org/mlocate/
 Source0: https://fedorahosted.org/releases/m/l/mlocate/mlocate-%{version}.tar.xz
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ Source3: mlocate-updatedb.service
 Source4: mlocate-updatedb.timer
 Requires(pre): shadow-utils
 Requires(post): grep, sed
-# standard systemd requires
-%{?systemd_requires}
 BuildRequires: make
 BuildRequires: systemd
 BuildRequires: gcc
@@ -70,7 +68,9 @@ if [ "$VARIANT_ID" = "silverblue" ] || [ -f /run/ostree-booted ]; then
 fi
 
 %systemd_post mlocate-updatedb.timer
-systemctl start mlocate-updatedb.timer
+if [ -x /usr/bin/systemctl ]; then
+    /usr/bin/systemctl start mlocate-updatedb.timer
+fi
 
 %preun
 %systemd_preun mlocate-updatedb.timer
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ systemctl start mlocate-updatedb.timer
 %systemd_postun_with_restart mlocate-updatedb.timer
 
 %triggerin -- %{name} < 0.26-11
-/usr/bin/systemctl start mlocate-updatedb.timer
+if [ -x /usr/bin/systemctl ]; then
+    /usr/bin/systemctl start mlocate-updatedb.timer
+fi
 
 %files -f mlocate.lang
 %doc AUTHORS COPYING NEWS README
@@ -94,6 +96,9 @@ systemctl start mlocate-updatedb.timer
 %ghost %attr(0640,root,slocate) %{_localstatedir}/lib/mlocate/mlocate.db
 
 %changelog
+* Fri Oct 01 2021 Kalev Lember <klember@redhat.com> - 0.26-31
+- Avoid systemd_requires as per updated packaging guidelines
+
 * Thu Jul 22 2021 Fedora Release Engineering <releng@fedoraproject.org> - 0.26-30
 - Rebuilt for https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_35_Mass_Rebuild