diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3d96059..63fb6cc 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -567,8 +567,8 @@ set(DBUS_SESSION_SOCKET_DIR "" CACHE STRING "Default directory for session socke
 if(UNIX)
     if (CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING)
         if (NOT DBUS_SESSION_SOCKET_DIR)
-            message(FATAL_ERROR "cannot autodetect session socket directory "
-                    "when crosscompiling, pass -DDBUS_SESSION_SOCKET_DIR=...")
+            # backporting the *effect* of https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/dbus/dbus/-/merge_requests/522/diffs
+            set(DBUS_SESSION_SOCKET_DIR "/tmp")
         endif()
     elseif(NOT $ENV{TMPDIR} STREQUAL "")
         set(DBUS_SESSION_SOCKET_DIR $ENV{TMPDIR})