diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 2caf069602..187551b8da 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -1609,6 +1609,7 @@ includes = include_directories('src/basic',
                                'src/libsystemd/sd-event',
                                'src/libsystemd/sd-hwdb',
                                'src/libsystemd/sd-id128',
+                               'src/libsystemd/sd-journal',
                                'src/libsystemd/sd-netlink',
                                'src/libsystemd/sd-network',
                                'src/libsystemd/sd-resolve',
@@ -1665,8 +1666,7 @@ libsystemd = shared_library(
                      '-Wl,--version-script=' + libsystemd_sym_path],
         link_with : [libbasic,
                      libbasic_gcrypt],
-        link_whole : [libsystemd_static,
-                      libjournal_client],
+        link_whole : [libsystemd_static],
         dependencies : [threads,
                         librt,
                         libxz,
@@ -1682,7 +1682,6 @@ static_libsystemd_pic = static_libsystemd == 'true' or static_libsystemd == 'pic
 install_libsystemd_static = static_library(
         'systemd',
         libsystemd_sources,
-        journal_client_sources,
         basic_sources,
         basic_gcrypt_sources,
         disable_mempool_c,
@@ -2150,7 +2149,6 @@ if get_option('link-systemctl-shared')
 else
         systemctl_link_with = [libsystemd_static,
                                libshared_static,
-                               libjournal_client,
                                libbasic_gcrypt]
 endif
 
@@ -2619,7 +2617,6 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_TIMESYNCD') == 1
         else
                 timesyncd_link_with = [libsystemd_static,
                                        libshared_static,
-                                       libjournal_client,
                                        libbasic_gcrypt]
         endif
 
@@ -3189,8 +3186,7 @@ if enable_sysusers
                         link_with : [libshared_static,
                                      libbasic,
                                      libbasic_gcrypt,
-                                     libsystemd_static,
-                                     libjournal_client],
+                                     libsystemd_static],
                         install : true,
                         install_dir : rootbindir)
                 public_programs += exe
@@ -3232,8 +3228,7 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_TMPFILES') == 1
                         link_with : [libshared_static,
                                      libbasic,
                                      libbasic_gcrypt,
-                                     libsystemd_static,
-                                     libjournal_client],
+                                     libsystemd_static],
                         dependencies : [libacl],
                         install : true,
                         install_dir : rootbindir)
diff --git a/src/journal/meson.build b/src/journal/meson.build
index dd0982a158..59da7aa7e0 100644
--- a/src/journal/meson.build
+++ b/src/journal/meson.build
@@ -1,69 +1,5 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
 
-journal_client_sources = files('''
-        audit-type.c
-        audit-type.h
-        catalog.c
-        catalog.h
-        compress.c
-        compress.h
-        journal-def.h
-        journal-file.c
-        journal-file.h
-        journal-send.c
-        journal-vacuum.c
-        journal-vacuum.h
-        journal-verify.c
-        journal-verify.h
-        lookup3.c
-        lookup3.h
-        mmap-cache.c
-        mmap-cache.h
-        sd-journal.c
-'''.split())
-
-if conf.get('HAVE_GCRYPT') == 1
-        journal_client_sources += files('''
-                journal-authenticate.c
-                journal-authenticate.h
-                fsprg.c
-                fsprg.h
-        '''.split())
-endif
-
-############################################################
-
-audit_type_includes = [config_h,
-                       missing_audit_h,
-                       'linux/audit.h']
-if conf.get('HAVE_AUDIT') == 1
-        audit_type_includes += 'libaudit.h'
-endif
-
-generate_audit_type_list = find_program('generate-audit_type-list.sh')
-audit_type_list_txt = custom_target(
-        'audit_type-list.txt',
-        output : 'audit_type-list.txt',
-        command : [generate_audit_type_list, cpp] + audit_type_includes,
-        capture : true)
-
-audit_type_to_name = custom_target(
-        'audit_type-to-name.h',
-        input : ['audit_type-to-name.awk', audit_type_list_txt],
-        output : 'audit_type-to-name.h',
-        command : [awk, '-f', '@INPUT0@', '@INPUT1@'],
-        capture : true)
-
-journal_client_sources += [audit_type_to_name]
-
-libjournal_client = static_library(
-        'journal-client',
-        journal_client_sources,
-        include_directories : includes,
-        c_args : ['-fvisibility=default'])
-
-############################################################
-
 libjournal_core_sources = files('''
         journald-audit.c
         journald-audit.h
@@ -85,7 +21,6 @@ libjournal_core_sources = files('''
         journald-syslog.h
         journald-wall.c
         journald-wall.h
-        journal-internal.h
 '''.split())
 
 systemd_journald_sources = files('''
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/meson.build b/src/libsystemd/meson.build
index d22a7754e2..4d2e5e54e6 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/meson.build
+++ b/src/libsystemd/meson.build
@@ -1,13 +1,72 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
 
+sd_journal_sources = files(
+        'sd-journal/audit-type.c',
+        'sd-journal/audit-type.h',
+        'sd-journal/catalog.c',
+        'sd-journal/catalog.h',
+        'sd-journal/compress.c',
+        'sd-journal/compress.h',
+        'sd-journal/journal-def.h',
+        'sd-journal/journal-file.c',
+        'sd-journal/journal-file.h',
+        'sd-journal/journal-internal.h',
+        'sd-journal/journal-send.c',
+        'sd-journal/journal-vacuum.c',
+        'sd-journal/journal-vacuum.h',
+        'sd-journal/journal-verify.c',
+        'sd-journal/journal-verify.h',
+        'sd-journal/lookup3.c',
+        'sd-journal/lookup3.h',
+        'sd-journal/mmap-cache.c',
+        'sd-journal/mmap-cache.h',
+        'sd-journal/sd-journal.c')
+
+if conf.get('HAVE_GCRYPT') == 1
+        sd_journal_sources += files(
+                'sd-journal/fsprg.c',
+                'sd-journal/fsprg.h',
+                'sd-journal/journal-authenticate.c',
+                'sd-journal/journal-authenticate.h')
+endif
+
+audit_type_includes = [config_h,
+                       missing_audit_h,
+                       'linux/audit.h']
+if conf.get('HAVE_AUDIT') == 1
+        audit_type_includes += 'libaudit.h'
+endif
+
+generate_audit_type_list = find_program('sd-journal/generate-audit_type-list.sh')
+audit_type_list_txt = custom_target(
+        'audit_type-list.txt',
+        output : 'audit_type-list.txt',
+        command : [generate_audit_type_list, cpp] + audit_type_includes,
+        capture : true)
+
+audit_type_to_name = custom_target(
+        'audit_type-to-name.h',
+        input : ['sd-journal/audit_type-to-name.awk', audit_type_list_txt],
+        output : 'audit_type-to-name.h',
+        command : [awk, '-f', '@INPUT0@', '@INPUT1@'],
+        capture : true)
+
+sd_journal_sources += [audit_type_to_name]
+
+############################################################
+
 id128_sources = files('''
         sd-id128/id128-util.c
         sd-id128/id128-util.h
         sd-id128/sd-id128.c
 '''.split())
 
+############################################################
+
 sd_daemon_sources = files('sd-daemon/sd-daemon.c')
 
+############################################################
+
 sd_event_sources = files('''
         sd-event/event-source.h
         sd-event/event-util.c
@@ -15,8 +74,12 @@ sd_event_sources = files('''
         sd-event/sd-event.c
 '''.split())
 
+############################################################
+
 sd_login_sources = files('sd-login/sd-login.c')
 
+############################################################
+
 libsystemd_sources = files('''
         sd-bus/bus-common-errors.c
         sd-bus/bus-common-errors.h
@@ -91,7 +154,7 @@ libsystemd_sources = files('''
         sd-resolve/resolve-private.h
         sd-resolve/sd-resolve.c
         sd-utf8/sd-utf8.c
-'''.split()) + id128_sources + sd_daemon_sources + sd_event_sources + sd_login_sources
+'''.split()) + sd_journal_sources + id128_sources + sd_daemon_sources + sd_event_sources + sd_login_sources
 
 disable_mempool_c = files('disable-mempool.c')
 
diff --git a/src/journal/audit-type.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/audit-type.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/audit-type.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/audit-type.c
diff --git a/src/journal/audit-type.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/audit-type.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/audit-type.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/audit-type.h
diff --git a/src/journal/audit_type-to-name.awk b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/audit_type-to-name.awk
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/audit_type-to-name.awk
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/audit_type-to-name.awk
diff --git a/src/journal/catalog.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/catalog.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/catalog.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/catalog.c
diff --git a/src/journal/catalog.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/catalog.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/catalog.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/catalog.h
diff --git a/src/journal/compress.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/compress.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/compress.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/compress.c
diff --git a/src/journal/compress.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/compress.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/compress.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/compress.h
diff --git a/src/journal/fsprg.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/fsprg.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/fsprg.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/fsprg.c
diff --git a/src/journal/fsprg.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/fsprg.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/fsprg.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/fsprg.h
diff --git a/src/journal/generate-audit_type-list.sh b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/generate-audit_type-list.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/generate-audit_type-list.sh
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/generate-audit_type-list.sh
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-authenticate.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-authenticate.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-authenticate.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-authenticate.c
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-authenticate.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-authenticate.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-authenticate.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-authenticate.h
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-def.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-def.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-def.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-def.h
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-file.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-file.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-file.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-file.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.h
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-internal.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-internal.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-internal.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-internal.h
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-send.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-send.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-send.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-send.c
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-vacuum.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-vacuum.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-vacuum.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-vacuum.c
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-vacuum.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-vacuum.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-vacuum.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-vacuum.h
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-verify.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-verify.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-verify.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-verify.c
diff --git a/src/journal/journal-verify.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-verify.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/journal-verify.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-verify.h
diff --git a/src/journal/lookup3.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/lookup3.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/lookup3.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/lookup3.c
diff --git a/src/journal/lookup3.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/lookup3.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/lookup3.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/lookup3.h
diff --git a/src/journal/mmap-cache.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/mmap-cache.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/mmap-cache.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/mmap-cache.c
diff --git a/src/journal/mmap-cache.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/mmap-cache.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/mmap-cache.h
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/mmap-cache.h
diff --git a/src/journal/sd-journal.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/sd-journal.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-audit-type.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-audit-type.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-audit-type.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-audit-type.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-catalog.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-catalog.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-catalog.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-catalog.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-compress-benchmark.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-compress-benchmark.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-compress-benchmark.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-compress-benchmark.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-compress.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-compress.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-compress.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-compress.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal-enum.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-enum.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-journal-enum.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-enum.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal-flush.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-flush.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-journal-flush.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-flush.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal-init.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-init.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-journal-init.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-init.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal-interleaving.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-interleaving.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-journal-interleaving.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-interleaving.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal-match.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-match.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-journal-match.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-match.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal-send.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-send.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-journal-send.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-send.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal-stream.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-stream.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-journal-stream.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-stream.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal-verify.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-verify.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-journal-verify.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-verify.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-journal.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-journal.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal.c
diff --git a/src/journal/test-mmap-cache.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-mmap-cache.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/journal/test-mmap-cache.c
rename to src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-mmap-cache.c
diff --git a/src/network/meson.build b/src/network/meson.build
index 72ca9b43e0..801fcb81e1 100644
--- a/src/network/meson.build
+++ b/src/network/meson.build
@@ -189,7 +189,6 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_NETWORKD') == 1
         else
                 networkd_link_with = [libsystemd_static,
                                       libshared_static,
-                                      libjournal_client,
                                       libbasic_gcrypt]
         endif
 
diff --git a/src/shared/meson.build b/src/shared/meson.build
index 7f522bc27e..5a8f0ae3a5 100644
--- a/src/shared/meson.build
+++ b/src/shared/meson.build
@@ -399,8 +399,7 @@ libshared = shared_library(
         link_whole : [libshared_static,
                       libbasic,
                       libbasic_gcrypt,
-                      libsystemd_static,
-                      libjournal_client],
+                      libsystemd_static],
         c_args : ['-fvisibility=default'],
         dependencies : libshared_deps,
         install : true,
diff --git a/src/test/meson.build b/src/test/meson.build
index c2345bd6ee..5d1c7166ea 100644
--- a/src/test/meson.build
+++ b/src/test/meson.build
@@ -834,14 +834,14 @@ endif
 # define some tests here, because the link_with deps were not defined earlier
 
 tests += [
-        [['src/journal/test-journal.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
           libxz,
           liblz4]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-journal-send.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-send.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
@@ -856,14 +856,14 @@ tests += [
           liblz4,
           libselinux]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-journal-match.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-match.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
           libxz,
           liblz4]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-journal-enum.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-enum.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
@@ -871,21 +871,21 @@ tests += [
           liblz4],
          '', 'timeout=360'],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-journal-stream.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-stream.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
           libxz,
           liblz4]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-journal-flush.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-flush.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
           libxz,
           liblz4]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-journal-init.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-init.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
@@ -899,42 +899,42 @@ tests += [
           liblz4,
           libselinux]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-journal-verify.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-verify.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
           libxz,
           liblz4]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-journal-interleaving.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-journal-interleaving.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
           libxz,
           liblz4]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-mmap-cache.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-mmap-cache.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
           libxz,
           liblz4]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-catalog.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-catalog.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [threads,
           libxz,
           liblz4]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-compress.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-compress.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [liblz4,
           libzstd,
           libxz]],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-compress-benchmark.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-compress-benchmark.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [liblz4,
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ tests += [
           libxz],
          '', 'timeout=90'],
 
-        [['src/journal/test-audit-type.c'],
+        [['src/libsystemd/sd-journal/test-audit-type.c'],
          [libjournal_core,
           libshared],
          [liblz4,