diff --git a/package/skeleton/skeleton.mk b/package/skeleton/skeleton.mk
index 186cb60189..4eaaf32ead 100644
--- a/package/skeleton/skeleton.mk
+++ b/package/skeleton/skeleton.mk
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@
 SKELETON_ADD_TOOLCHAIN_DEPENDENCY = NO
 SKELETON_ADD_SKELETON_DEPENDENCY = NO
 
+# Although the $(HOST_DIR)/usr symlink is mostly for backward compatibility,
+# there are weird packages that still require it (see host-systemd, and
+# commit 35c11a027c88).
 define HOST_SKELETON_INSTALL_CMDS
+# check-package DoNotInstallToHostdirUsr
+	$(Q)ln -snf . $(HOST_DIR)/usr
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(HOST_DIR)/lib
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(HOST_DIR)/include
 	$(Q)case $(HOSTARCH) in \