diff --git a/libpod/events/default_journal.go b/libpod/events/default_journal.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e1f1542a67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libpod/events/default_journal.go
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+//go:build systemd && linux
+
+package events
+
+// DefaultEventerType is journald when systemd is available.
+const DefaultEventerType = Journald
diff --git a/libpod/events/default_logfile.go b/libpod/events/default_logfile.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6076deb17f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libpod/events/default_logfile.go
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+//go:build !systemd || !linux
+
+package events
+
+// DefaultEventerType is logfile when systemd is not present
+// or not supported.
+const DefaultEventerType = LogFile
diff --git a/libpod/events/events.go b/libpod/events/events.go
index b237bca9ed..2b699b33c0 100644
--- a/libpod/events/events.go
+++ b/libpod/events/events.go
@@ -98,16 +98,6 @@ func (e *Event) ToHumanReadable(truncate bool) string {
 	return humanFormat
 }
 
-// newEventFromJSONString takes stringified json and converts
-// it to an event
-func newEventFromJSONString(event string) (*Event, error) {
-	e := new(Event)
-	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(event), e); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return e, nil
-}
-
 // String converts a Type to a string
 func (t Type) String() string {
 	return string(t)
diff --git a/libpod/events/events_freebsd.go b/libpod/events/events_freebsd.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 64528cfdf9..0000000000
--- a/libpod/events/events_freebsd.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-package events
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
-)
-
-// NewEventer creates an eventer based on the eventer type
-func NewEventer(options EventerOptions) (Eventer, error) {
-	logrus.Debugf("Initializing event backend %s", options.EventerType)
-	switch EventerType(strings.ToLower(options.EventerType)) {
-	case LogFile:
-		return EventLogFile{options}, nil
-	case Null:
-		return newNullEventer(), nil
-	default:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown event logger type: %s", strings.ToLower(options.EventerType))
-	}
-}
diff --git a/libpod/events/events_linux.go b/libpod/events/events_supported.go
similarity index 55%
rename from libpod/events/events_linux.go
rename to libpod/events/events_supported.go
index 0b8d380a34..825c80a585 100644
--- a/libpod/events/events_linux.go
+++ b/libpod/events/events_supported.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+//go:build linux || freebsd
+
 package events
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -21,3 +24,19 @@ func NewEventer(options EventerOptions) (Eventer, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown event logger type: %s", strings.ToLower(options.EventerType))
 	}
 }
+
+// newEventFromJSONString takes stringified json and converts
+// it to an event
+func newEventFromJSONString(event string) (*Event, error) {
+	e := new(Event)
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(event), e); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return e, nil
+}
+
+// newNullEventer returns a new null eventer.  You should only do this for
+// the purposes of internal libpod testing.
+func newNullEventer() Eventer {
+	return EventToNull{}
+}
diff --git a/libpod/events/filters.go b/libpod/events/filters.go
index e502546be4..00bdd19ee5 100644
--- a/libpod/events/filters.go
+++ b/libpod/events/filters.go
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+//go:build linux || freebsd
+
 package events
 
 import (
diff --git a/libpod/events/journal_linux.go b/libpod/events/journal_linux.go
index caee397c10..b239242dac 100644
--- a/libpod/events/journal_linux.go
+++ b/libpod/events/journal_linux.go
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
-// DefaultEventerType is journald when systemd is available
-const DefaultEventerType = Journald
-
 // EventJournalD is the journald implementation of an eventer
 type EventJournalD struct {
 	options EventerOptions
diff --git a/libpod/events/journal_unsupported.go b/libpod/events/journal_unsupported.go
index 10fb00b716..07449e434e 100644
--- a/libpod/events/journal_unsupported.go
+++ b/libpod/events/journal_unsupported.go
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
-//go:build !systemd
+//go:build (linux && !systemd) || freebsd
 
 package events
 
-// DefaultEventerType is logfile when systemd is not present
-const DefaultEventerType = LogFile
-
 // newJournalDEventer always returns an error if libsystemd not found
 func newJournalDEventer(options EventerOptions) (Eventer, error) {
 	return nil, ErrNoJournaldLogging
diff --git a/libpod/events/nullout.go b/libpod/events/nullout.go
index ff08c84ea4..369dd4a92c 100644
--- a/libpod/events/nullout.go
+++ b/libpod/events/nullout.go
@@ -19,12 +19,6 @@ func (e EventToNull) Read(ctx context.Context, options ReadOptions) error {
 	return errors.New("cannot read events with the \"none\" backend")
 }
 
-// newNullEventer returns a new null eventer.  You should only do this for
-// the purposes of internal libpod testing.
-func newNullEventer() Eventer {
-	return EventToNull{}
-}
-
 // String returns a string representation of the logger
 func (e EventToNull) String() string {
 	return "none"