diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_197.bb b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_197.bb
index 5180eef2b3..dc54f366f7 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_197.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_197.bb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ PROVIDES = "udev"
 PE = "1"
 PR = "r4"
 
-DEPENDS = "xz kmod docbook-sgml-dtd-4.1-native intltool-native gperf-native acl readline dbus libcap libcgroup tcp-wrappers glib-2.0"
+DEPENDS = "kmod docbook-sgml-dtd-4.1-native intltool-native gperf-native acl readline dbus libcap libcgroup tcp-wrappers glib-2.0"
 DEPENDS += "${@base_contains('DISTRO_FEATURES', 'pam', 'libpam', '', d)}"
 
 SECTION = "base/shell"
@@ -43,9 +43,11 @@ LDFLAGS_libc-uclibc_append = " -lrt"
 
 GTKDOC_DOCDIR = "${S}/docs/"
 
-PACKAGECONFIG ??= ""
+PACKAGECONFIG ??= "xz"
 # Sign the journal for anti-tampering
 PACKAGECONFIG[gcrypt] = "--enable-gcrypt,--disable-gcrypt,libgcrypt"
+# Compress the journal
+PACKAGECONFIG[xz] = "--enable-xz,--disable-xz,xz"
 
 CACHED_CONFIGUREVARS = "ac_cv_path_KILL=${base_bindir}/kill"