diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index cb96c7ab..f0d4104b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -133,22 +133,23 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES(SYSTEMD,
 
 # sysprofd requires libsystemd and polkit, and is required to run
 # the ui without root permissions
-AC_ARG_ENABLE([sysprofd],
-              [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-sysprofd=@<:@yes/no/auto@:>@],
+AC_ARG_WITH([sysprofd],
+             [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-sysprofd=@<:@host/bundled/no/auto@:>@],
                               [Build Sysprof D-Bus daemon.])],
-              [enable_sysprofd=$enableval],
-              [enable_sysprofd=auto])
-AS_IF([test "$enable_sysprofd" = "auto"],[
+             [with_sysprofd=$withval],
+             [with_sysprofd=auto])
+AS_IF([test "$with_sysprofd" = "auto"],[
         AS_IF([test "$have_polkit" = "yes" && test "$have_systemd" = "yes"],
-              [enable_sysprofd=yes],
-              [enable_sysprofd=no])
+              [with_sysprofd=bundled],
+              [with_sysprofd=no])
 ])
-AS_IF([test "$enable_sysprofd" = "yes"],[
+AS_IF([test "$with_sysprofd" = "bundled"],[
         AS_IF([test "$have_systemd" = "yes" && test "$have_polkit" = "yes"],[],[
                 AC_MSG_ERROR([--enable-sysprofd requires libsystemd >= systemd_required_version and polkit-gobject-1])
         ])
 ])
-AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_SYSPROFD, [test "$enable_sysprofd" = "yes"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_SYSPROFD, [test "$with_sysprofd" = "bundled"])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_POLKIT, [test "$with_sysprofd" = "host" || test "$with_sysprofd" = "bundled"])
 
 # we might be building sysprof-cli without the UI
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([gtk],
@@ -282,7 +283,7 @@ echo "    The GTK interface can explore sysprof capture"
 echo "    files. If you want the user interface, ensure"
 echo "    this is yes."
 echo ""
-echo "  sysprofd ..................................... : ${enable_sysprofd}"
+echo "  sysprofd ..................................... : ${with_sysprofd}"
 echo ""
 echo "    The sysprofd system daemon provides support"
 echo "    for accessing hardware performance counters"
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index 2b9d4731..710d4f31 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -107,9 +107,9 @@ libsysprof_@API_VERSION@_la_LIBADD = \
 	$(GIO_LIBS) \
 	$(NULL)
 
-if ENABLE_SYSPROFD
+if ENABLE_POLKIT
 libsysprof_@API_VERSION@_la_LIBADD += $(POLKIT_LIBS)
-libsysprof_@API_VERSION@_la_CFLAGS += $(POLKIT_CFLAGS) -DENABLE_SYSPROFD
+libsysprof_@API_VERSION@_la_CFLAGS += $(POLKIT_CFLAGS) -DENABLE_POLKIT
 endif
 
 libsysprof_@API_VERSION@_la_LDFLAGS = \
diff --git a/lib/sp-perf-counter.c b/lib/sp-perf-counter.c
index d41bc9ea..df8626d8 100644
--- a/lib/sp-perf-counter.c
+++ b/lib/sp-perf-counter.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 #include <sys/syscall.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_SYSPROFD
+#ifdef ENABLE_POLKIT
 # include <polkit/polkit.h>
 #endif
 
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ G_DEFINE_BOXED_TYPE (SpPerfCounter,
                      (GBoxedCopyFunc)sp_perf_counter_ref,
                      (GBoxedFreeFunc)sp_perf_counter_unref)
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_SYSPROFD
+#ifdef ENABLE_POLKIT
 static GDBusConnection *shared_conn;
 #endif
 
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ sp_perf_counter_take_fd (SpPerfCounter *self,
   sp_perf_counter_add_info (self, fd, -1);
 }
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_SYSPROFD
+#ifdef ENABLE_POLKIT
 static GDBusProxy *
 get_proxy (void)
 {
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ sp_perf_counter_authorize_async (GCancellable        *cancellable,
 
   task = g_task_new (NULL, cancellable, callback, user_data);
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_SYSPROFD
+#ifdef ENABLE_POLKIT
   g_bus_get (G_BUS_TYPE_SYSTEM,
              cancellable,
              sp_perf_counter_get_bus_cb,
@@ -671,7 +671,7 @@ sp_perf_counter_open (SpPerfCounter          *self,
                       gint                    group_fd,
                       gulong                  flags)
 {
-#ifdef ENABLE_SYSPROFD
+#ifdef ENABLE_POLKIT
   g_autoptr(GError) error = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GDBusProxy) proxy = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GUnixFDList) fdlist = NULL;
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ sp_perf_counter_open (SpPerfCounter          *self,
       return ret;
     }
 
-#ifdef ENABLE_SYSPROFD
+#ifdef ENABLE_POLKIT
   params = g_variant_new_parsed (
 			"("
 				"["