diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 630f84d702..d6391d45a2 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -226,6 +226,9 @@ endif
 
 memory_accounting_default = get_option('memory-accounting-default')
 status_unit_format_default = get_option('status-unit-format-default')
+if status_unit_format_default == 'auto'
+        status_unit_format_default = conf.get('BUILD_MODE_DEVELOPER') == 1 ? 'name' : 'description'
+endif
 
 conf.set_quoted('BINFMT_DIR',                                 binfmtdir)
 conf.set_quoted('BOOTLIBDIR',                                 bootlibdir)
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 3bb25c6f76..267c829368 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ option('extra-net-naming-schemes', type : 'string',
 option('default-net-naming-scheme', type : 'string', value : 'latest',
        description : 'default net.naming-scheme= value')
 option('status-unit-format-default', type : 'combo',
-       choices : ['description', 'name', 'combined'],
+       choices : ['auto', 'description', 'name', 'combined'],
        description : 'use unit name or description in messages by default')
 option('time-epoch', type : 'integer', value : '-1',
        description : 'time epoch for time clients')