diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_247.3.bb b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_247.3.bb
index 1aac754cfc..3454085e5f 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_247.3.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_247.3.bb
@@ -484,10 +484,12 @@ FILES_${PN}-container = "${sysconfdir}/dbus-1/system.d/org.freedesktop.import1.c
                          ${datadir}/polkit-1/actions/org.freedesktop.machine1.policy \
                         "
 
+# "machinectl import-tar" uses "tar --numeric-owner", not supported by busybox.
 RRECOMMENDS_${PN}-container += "\
                          ${PN}-journal-gatewayd \
                          ${PN}-journal-remote \
                          ${PN}-journal-upload \
+                         tar \
                         "
 
 FILES_${PN}-extra-utils = "\