diff --git a/package/skeleton-init-systemd/skeleton-init-systemd.mk b/package/skeleton-init-systemd/skeleton-init-systemd.mk
index ec908b4fac..ff8bc528c0 100644
--- a/package/skeleton-init-systemd/skeleton-init-systemd.mk
+++ b/package/skeleton-init-systemd/skeleton-init-systemd.mk
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ else
 # back there by the tmpfiles.d mechanism.
 define SKELETON_INIT_SYSTEMD_ROOT_RO_OR_RW
 	echo "/dev/root / auto ro 0 1" >$(TARGET_DIR)/etc/fstab
-	echo "tmpfs /var tmpfs mode=1777 0 0" >>$(TARGET_DIR)/etc/fstab
 endef
 
 define SKELETON_INIT_SYSTEMD_PRE_ROOTFS_VAR
@@ -52,6 +51,8 @@ define SKELETON_INIT_SYSTEMD_PRE_ROOTFS_VAR
 			|| exit 1; \
 		fi; \
 	done >$(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/00-buildroot-var.conf
+	$(INSTALL) -D -m 0644 $(SKELETON_INIT_SYSTEMD_PKGDIR)/var.mount \
+		$(TARGET_DIR)/usr/lib/systemd/system/var.mount
 endef
 SKELETON_INIT_SYSTEMD_ROOTFS_PRE_CMD_HOOKS += SKELETON_INIT_SYSTEMD_PRE_ROOTFS_VAR
 
diff --git a/package/skeleton-init-systemd/var.mount b/package/skeleton-init-systemd/var.mount
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e97accef93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package/skeleton-init-systemd/var.mount
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
+# Modelled after systemd's tmp.mount
+
+[Unit]
+Description=Buildroot /var tmpfs
+DefaultDependencies=no
+Conflicts=umount.target
+Before=local-fs.target umount.target
+After=swap.target
+
+[Mount]
+What=tmpfs
+Where=/var
+Type=tmpfs
+Options=mode=1777,strictatime,nosuid,nodev,size=50%%,nr_inodes=1m