diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core.posix/src/com/oracle/svm/core/posix/darwin/DarwinSubstitutions.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core.posix/src/com/oracle/svm/core/posix/darwin/DarwinSubstitutions.java
index fe753381be04..88238af7ad60 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core.posix/src/com/oracle/svm/core/posix/darwin/DarwinSubstitutions.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core.posix/src/com/oracle/svm/core/posix/darwin/DarwinSubstitutions.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import static com.oracle.svm.core.posix.headers.darwin.DarwinTime.NoTransitions.mach_timebase_info;
 
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.function.BooleanSupplier;
 
 import org.graalvm.nativeimage.ImageSingletons;
 import org.graalvm.nativeimage.Platform;
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ long nanoTime() {
  * Native functions don't exist on Darwin because this whole class is used, and should exist, only
  * on Linux. See <code>java.util.prefs.Preferences#factory</code>.
  */
-@TargetClass(className = "java.util.prefs.FileSystemPreferences")
+@TargetClass(className = "java.util.prefs.FileSystemPreferences", onlyWith = IsJavaUtilPrefsPresent.class)
 final class Target_java_util_prefs_FileSystemPreferences {
     @Delete
     private static native int[] lockFile0(String fileName, int permission, boolean shared);
@@ -134,6 +135,14 @@ final class Target_java_util_prefs_FileSystemPreferences {
     private static native int chmod(String fileName, int permission);
 }
 
+final class IsJavaUtilPrefsPresent implements BooleanSupplier {
+    @Override
+    public boolean getAsBoolean() {
+        var prefsMod = ModuleLayer.boot().findModule("java.prefs");
+        return prefsMod.isPresent();
+    }
+}
+
 /**
  * Not used in native image and has linker errors with XCode 13. Can be removed in the future when
  * XCode 14 becomes omnipresent.