diff --git a/cmd/libsnap-confine-private/tools-dir.h b/cmd/libsnap-confine-private/tools-dir.h
index 93d19b1..4123335 100644
--- a/cmd/libsnap-confine-private/tools-dir.h
+++ b/cmd/libsnap-confine-private/tools-dir.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 /**
  * Canonical location of tools directory on the host.
  **/
-#define SC_CANONICAL_HOST_TOOLS_DIR "/usr/lib/snapd"
+#define SC_CANONICAL_HOST_TOOLS_DIR "/usr/lib@LIB@/snapd"
 
 /**
  * Alternate location of tools directory on the host.
diff --git a/cmd/libsnap-confine-private/utils.c b/cmd/libsnap-confine-private/utils.c
index 4b963e9..9c7d1cd 100644
--- a/cmd/libsnap-confine-private/utils.c
+++ b/cmd/libsnap-confine-private/utils.c
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ int sc_nonfatal_mkpath(const char *const path, mode_t mode, uid_t uid, uid_t gid
 
 bool sc_is_expected_path(const char *path) {
     const char *expected_path_re =
-        "^((/var/lib/snapd)?/snap/(snapd|core)/x?[0-9]+/usr/lib|/usr/lib(exec)?)/snapd/snap-confine$";
+        "^((/var/lib/snapd)?/snap/(snapd|core)/x?[0-9]+/usr/lib@LIB@|/usr/lib@LIB@(exec)?)/snapd/snap-confine$";
     regex_t re;
     if (regcomp(&re, expected_path_re, REG_EXTENDED | REG_NOSUB) != 0)
         die("can not compile regex %s", expected_path_re);
diff --git a/dirs/dirs.go b/dirs/dirs.go
index 6d8b67d..4f9a70b 100644
--- a/dirs/dirs.go
+++ b/dirs/dirs.go
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ const (
 
 	// DefaultDistroLibexecDir is a default libexecdir used on most
 	// distributions
-	DefaultDistroLibexecDir = "/usr/lib/snapd"
+	DefaultDistroLibexecDir = "/usr/lib@LIB@/snapd"
 	// AltDistroLibexecDir is an anterlative libexec dir used on some distributions
 	AltDistroLibexecDir = "/usr/libexec/snapd"
 
diff --git a/sandbox/cgroup/cgroup.go b/sandbox/cgroup/cgroup.go
index cf2a86a..5eae79f 100644
--- a/sandbox/cgroup/cgroup.go
+++ b/sandbox/cgroup/cgroup.go
@@ -272,7 +272,9 @@ func ProcessPathInTrackingCgroup(pid int) (string, error) {
 				return true
 			}
 		} else {
-			if len(e.Controllers) == 1 && e.Controllers[0] == "name=systemd" {
+			// elogind (non-systemd hosts) names its tracking hierarchy
+			// name=elogind instead of name=systemd
+			if len(e.Controllers) == 1 && (e.Controllers[0] == "name=systemd" || e.Controllers[0] == "name=elogind") {
 				return true
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/sandbox/cgroup/tracking.go b/sandbox/cgroup/tracking.go
index 4851ecf..bd4eddd 100644
--- a/sandbox/cgroup/tracking.go
+++ b/sandbox/cgroup/tracking.go
@@ -329,7 +329,10 @@ func startTransientScope(conn *dbus.Conn, unitName string, pid int) (job dbus.Ob
 			logger.Debugf("StartTransientUnit failed with %q: %v", dbusErr.Name, dbusErr.Body)
 			// Some specific DBus errors have distinct handling.
 			switch dbusErr.Name {
-			case "org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NameHasNoOwner":
+			case "org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NameHasNoOwner",
+				// no systemd1 service file on the bus at all (hosts
+				// without systemd, e.g. Slackware with elogind)
+				"org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown":
 				// Nothing is providing systemd bus name. This is, most likely,
 				// an Ubuntu 14.04 system with the special deputy systemd.
 				return "", errDBusNameHasNoOwner
diff --git a/systemd/emulation.go b/systemd/emulation.go
index b1a12f3..96823ca 100644
--- a/systemd/emulation.go
+++ b/systemd/emulation.go
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ import (
 
 type emulation struct {
 	rootDir string
+	// live is set when running on a real host without systemd (as
+	// opposed to preseeding): mounts are done for real and enabling,
+	// disabling and masking units is a no-op.
+	live bool
 }
 
 type notImplementedError struct {
@@ -59,11 +63,17 @@ func (s *emulation) DaemonReexec() error {
 }
 
 func (s *emulation) EnableNoReload(services []string) error {
+	if s.live {
+		return nil
+	}
 	_, err := systemctlCmd(append([]string{"--root", s.rootDir, "enable"}, services...)...)
 	return err
 }
 
 func (s *emulation) DisableNoReload(services []string) error {
+	if s.live {
+		return nil
+	}
 	_, err := systemctlCmd(append([]string{"--root", s.rootDir, "disable"}, services...)...)
 	return err
 }
@@ -149,7 +159,7 @@ func (s *emulation) EnsureMountUnitFile(unitOptions *MountUnitOptions) (string,
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	if modified == MountUnchanged {
+	if modified == MountUnchanged && !s.live {
 		return mountUnitName, nil
 	}
 
@@ -163,6 +173,10 @@ func (s *emulation) EnsureMountUnitFile(unitOptions *MountUnitOptions) (string,
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("cannot check mountpoint in preseed mode: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	if s.live && modified == MountUnchanged && mounted {
+		return mountUnitName, nil
+	}
+
 	// Here we need options that work for the system where we create the
 	// tarball, so things are similar to what is done for
 	// systemd.EnsureMountUnitFile. For instance, when preseeding in a lxd
@@ -220,11 +234,17 @@ func (s *emulation) ListMountUnits(snapName, origin string, filter MountUnitFilt
 }
 
 func (s *emulation) Mask(service string) error {
+	if s.live {
+		return nil
+	}
 	_, err := systemctlCmd("--root", s.rootDir, "mask", service)
 	return err
 }
 
 func (s *emulation) Unmask(service string) error {
+	if s.live {
+		return nil
+	}
 	_, err := systemctlCmd("--root", s.rootDir, "unmask", service)
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/systemd/systemd.go b/systemd/systemd.go
index 82cbfac..86e54e5 100644
--- a/systemd/systemd.go
+++ b/systemd/systemd.go
@@ -566,6 +566,11 @@ type Reporter interface {
 func newSystemdReal(be Backend, rootDir string, mode InstanceMode, rep Reporter) Systemd {
 	switch be {
 	case RunningSystemdBackend:
+		if NoSystemd() {
+			// SNAPD_NO_SYSTEMD=1: no systemd on this host, mount
+			// snaps directly and do not call systemctl
+			return &emulation{rootDir: rootDir, live: true}
+		}
 		return &systemd{rootDir: rootDir, mode: mode, reporter: rep}
 	case EmulationModeBackend:
 		return &emulation{rootDir: rootDir}
@@ -574,6 +579,12 @@ func newSystemdReal(be Backend, rootDir string, mode InstanceMode, rep Reporter)
 	}
 }
 
+// NoSystemd returns true when snapd was told that this host does not run
+// systemd (SNAPD_NO_SYSTEMD=1).
+func NoSystemd() bool {
+	return os.Getenv("SNAPD_NO_SYSTEMD") == "1"
+}
+
 // New returns a Systemd that uses the default root directory and omits
 // --root argument when executing systemctl.
 func New(mode InstanceMode, rep Reporter) Systemd {

diff --git a/cmd/snapctl/tool/snap-exec/main_test.go b/cmd/snapctl/tool/snap-exec/main_test.go
--- a/cmd/snapctl/tool/snap-exec/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/snapctl/tool/snap-exec/main_test.go
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ func (s *snapExecSuite) TestSnapExecCompleteConfined(c *C) {
 	restore = snap_exec.MockOsReadlink(func(p string) (string, error) {
 		c.Assert(p, Equals, "/proc/self/exe")
 		// as if running inside the snap mount namespace
-		return "/usr/lib/snapd/snap-exec", nil
+		return "/usr/lib@LIB@/snapd/snap-exec", nil
 	})