diff --git a/package/systemd/Config.in b/package/systemd/Config.in
index 851b91aeba..320d416203 100644
--- a/package/systemd/Config.in
+++ b/package/systemd/Config.in
@@ -52,9 +52,11 @@ menuconfig BR2_PACKAGE_SYSTEMD
 	  an elaborate transactional dependency-based service control
 	  logic.  It can work as a drop-in replacement for sysvinit.
 
-	  Kernel versions below 4.15 ("recommended baseline") have
+	  Kernel versions below 5.4 ("recommended baseline") have
 	  significant gaps in functionality and are not recommended
-	  for use with this version of systemd.
+	  for use with this version of systemd. (e.g. lack race-free
+	  process tracking by pidfd, systemd-networkd, and new mount
+	  API support).
 
 	  Systemd requires a Linux kernel >= 3.15 with the following
 	  options enabled:
@@ -354,7 +356,8 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_SYSTEMD_MYHOSTNAME
 
 config BR2_PACKAGE_SYSTEMD_NETWORKD
 	bool "enable network manager"
-	default y
+	default y if BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HEADERS_AT_LEAST_5_4
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HEADERS_AT_LEAST_5_4
 	help
 	  systemd-networkd is a system service that manages networks.
 	  It detects and configures network devices as they appear, as
@@ -365,6 +368,9 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_SYSTEMD_NETWORKD
 
 	  https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd-networkd.html
 
+comment "systemd-networkd needs a toolchain with kernel headers >= 5.4"
+	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HEADERS_AT_LEAST_5_4
+
 config BR2_PACKAGE_SYSTEMD_OOMD
 	bool "enable out-of-memory killer"
 	help