diff --git a/contrib/dracut/90zfs/zfs-load-key.sh.in b/contrib/dracut/90zfs/zfs-load-key.sh.in
index d86763fcc9..9a6241bd76 100755
--- a/contrib/dracut/90zfs/zfs-load-key.sh.in
+++ b/contrib/dracut/90zfs/zfs-load-key.sh.in
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+# only run this on systemd systems, we handle the decrypt in mount-zfs.sh in the mount hook otherwise
+[[ -e /bin/systemctl ]] || return 0
+
 # This script only gets executed on systemd systems, see mount-zfs.sh for non-systemd systems
 
 # import the libs now that we know the pool imported