diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst b/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst
index 725f5c54cc..910b99aed2 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst
@@ -8271,6 +8271,16 @@ system and gives an overview of their function and contents.
       :term:`SYSTEMD_PACKAGES`. Overrides not included in :term:`SYSTEMD_PACKAGES`
       will be silently ignored.
 
+   :term:`SYSTEMD_PACKAGES_DONT_RECURSE`
+      By default service files declared in :term:`SYSTEMD_SERVICE` are scanned
+      and all related service files are added to parsed package recursively.
+
+      It allows more readable and future-proof recipes, however it does not work well
+      when services are split to separate packages. This variable prevents this behavior.
+      Here is an example from systemd recipe::
+
+         SYSTEMD_PACKAGES_DONT_RECURSE:${PN}-networkd = "1"
+
    :term:`SYSVINIT_ENABLED_GETTYS`
       When using
       :ref:`SysVinit <dev-manual/new-recipe:enabling system services>`,
diff --git a/meta/classes-recipe/systemd.bbclass b/meta/classes-recipe/systemd.bbclass
index f9c92e6c2a..c8cee482fe 100644
--- a/meta/classes-recipe/systemd.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes-recipe/systemd.bbclass
@@ -124,19 +124,19 @@ python systemd_populate_packages() {
         return appended
 
     # Add systemd files to FILES:*-systemd, parse for Also= and follow recursive
-    def systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, service, keys):
+    def systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, service, keys, recurse):
         # avoid infinite recursion
-        if systemd_append_file(pkg_systemd, oe.path.join(path, service)):
+        if systemd_append_file(pkg_systemd, oe.path.join(path, service)) and recurse:
             fullpath = oe.path.join(d.getVar("D"), path, service)
             if service.find('.service') != -1:
                 # for *.service add *@.service
                 service_base = service.replace('.service', '')
-                systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, service_base + '@.service', keys)
+                systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, service_base + '@.service', keys, recurse)
             if service.find('.socket') != -1:
                 # for *.socket add *.service and *@.service
                 service_base = service.replace('.socket', '')
-                systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, service_base + '.service', keys)
-                systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, service_base + '@.service', keys)
+                systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, service_base + '.service', keys, recurse)
+                systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, service_base + '@.service', keys, recurse)
             for key in keys.split():
                 # recurse all dependencies found in keys ('Also';'Conflicts';..) and add to files
                 cmd = "grep %s %s | sed 's,%s=,,g' | tr ',' '\\n'" % (key, shlex.quote(fullpath), key)
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ python systemd_populate_packages() {
                 line = pipe.readline()
                 while line:
                     line = line.replace('\n', '')
-                    systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, line, keys)
+                    systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path, line, keys, recurse)
                     line = pipe.readline()
                 pipe.close()
 
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ python systemd_populate_packages() {
         keys = 'Also'
         # scan for all in SYSTEMD_SERVICE[]
         for pkg_systemd in systemd_packages.split():
+            recurse = False if d.getVar('SYSTEMD_PACKAGES_DONT_RECURSE:' + pkg_systemd) else True
             for service in get_package_var(d, 'SYSTEMD_SERVICE', pkg_systemd).split():
                 path_found = ''
 
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@ python systemd_populate_packages() {
                             break
 
                 if path_found != '':
-                    systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path_found, service, keys)
+                    systemd_add_files_and_parse(pkg_systemd, path_found, service, keys, recurse)
                 else:
                     bb.fatal("Didn't find service unit '{0}', specified in SYSTEMD_SERVICE:{1}. {2}".format(
                         service, pkg_systemd, "Also looked for service unit '{0}'.".format(base) if base is not None else ""))