diff --git a/src/import/export.c b/src/import/export.c
index d891ca1816..bbea5b0343 100644
--- a/src/import/export.c
+++ b/src/import/export.c
@@ -207,7 +207,9 @@ static int help(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                "     --version                 Show package version\n"
                "     --format=FORMAT           Select format\n"
                "     --class=CLASS             Select image class (machine, sysext, confext,\n"
-               "                               portable)\n",
+               "                               portable)\n"
+               "     --system                  Operate in per-system mode\n"
+               "     --user                    Operate in per-user mode\n",
                program_invocation_short_name,
                ansi_underline(),
                ansi_normal(),
@@ -223,6 +225,8 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 ARG_VERSION = 0x100,
                 ARG_FORMAT,
                 ARG_CLASS,
+                ARG_SYSTEM,
+                ARG_USER,
         };
 
         static const struct option options[] = {
@@ -230,6 +234,8 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 { "version", no_argument,       NULL, ARG_VERSION },
                 { "format",  required_argument, NULL, ARG_FORMAT  },
                 { "class",   required_argument, NULL, ARG_CLASS   },
+                { "system",  no_argument,       NULL, ARG_SYSTEM  },
+                { "user",    no_argument,       NULL, ARG_USER    },
                 {}
         };
 
@@ -262,6 +268,14 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
                         break;
 
+                case ARG_SYSTEM:
+                        arg_runtime_scope = RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM;
+                        break;
+
+                case ARG_USER:
+                        arg_runtime_scope = RUNTIME_SCOPE_USER;
+                        break;
+
                 case '?':
                         return -EINVAL;
 
diff --git a/src/import/import-fs.c b/src/import/import-fs.c
index 783b0461ef..342c024d56 100644
--- a/src/import/import-fs.c
+++ b/src/import/import-fs.c
@@ -280,7 +280,9 @@ static int help(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                "                              subvolume\n"
                "     --sync=BOOL              Controls whether to sync() before completing\n"
                "     --class=CLASS            Select image class (machine, sysext, confext,\n"
-               "                              portable)\n",
+               "                              portable)\n"
+               "     --system                 Operate in per-system mode\n"
+               "     --user                   Operate in per-user mode\n",
                program_invocation_short_name,
                ansi_underline(),
                ansi_normal(),
@@ -302,6 +304,8 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 ARG_BTRFS_QUOTA,
                 ARG_SYNC,
                 ARG_CLASS,
+                ARG_SYSTEM,
+                ARG_USER,
         };
 
         static const struct option options[] = {
@@ -315,6 +319,8 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 { "btrfs-quota",     required_argument, NULL, ARG_BTRFS_QUOTA     },
                 { "sync",            required_argument, NULL, ARG_SYNC            },
                 { "class",           required_argument, NULL, ARG_CLASS           },
+                { "system",          no_argument,       NULL, ARG_SYSTEM          },
+                { "user",            no_argument,       NULL, ARG_USER            },
                 {}
         };
 
@@ -377,6 +383,14 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
                         break;
 
+                case ARG_SYSTEM:
+                        arg_runtime_scope = RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM;
+                        break;
+
+                case ARG_USER:
+                        arg_runtime_scope = RUNTIME_SCOPE_USER;
+                        break;
+
                 case '?':
                         return -EINVAL;
 
diff --git a/src/import/import.c b/src/import/import.c
index 9b458dff9f..f41a42f7e6 100644
--- a/src/import/import.c
+++ b/src/import/import.c
@@ -290,7 +290,9 @@ static int help(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                "     --offset=BYTES           Offset to seek to in destination\n"
                "     --size-max=BYTES         Maximum number of bytes to write to destination\n"
                "     --class=CLASS            Select image class (machine, sysext, confext,\n"
-               "                              portable)\n",
+               "                              portable)\n"
+               "     --system                 Operate in per-system mode\n"
+               "     --user                   Operate in per-user mode\n",
                program_invocation_short_name,
                ansi_underline(),
                ansi_normal(),
@@ -315,6 +317,8 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 ARG_OFFSET,
                 ARG_SIZE_MAX,
                 ARG_CLASS,
+                ARG_SYSTEM,
+                ARG_USER,
         };
 
         static const struct option options[] = {
@@ -331,6 +335,8 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 { "offset",          required_argument, NULL, ARG_OFFSET          },
                 { "size-max",        required_argument, NULL, ARG_SIZE_MAX        },
                 { "class",           required_argument, NULL, ARG_CLASS           },
+                { "system",          no_argument,       NULL, ARG_SYSTEM          },
+                { "user",            no_argument,       NULL, ARG_USER            },
                 {}
         };
 
@@ -430,6 +436,14 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
                         break;
 
+                case ARG_SYSTEM:
+                        arg_runtime_scope = RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM;
+                        break;
+
+                case ARG_USER:
+                        arg_runtime_scope = RUNTIME_SCOPE_USER;
+                        break;
+
                 case '?':
                         return -EINVAL;
 
diff --git a/src/import/pull.c b/src/import/pull.c
index 41193e4397..9c915536d8 100644
--- a/src/import/pull.c
+++ b/src/import/pull.c
@@ -275,7 +275,9 @@ static int help(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                "     --class=CLASS            Select image class (machine, sysext, confext,\n"
                "                              portable)\n"
                "     --keep-download=BOOL     Keep a copy pristine copy of the downloaded file\n"
-               "                              around\n",
+               "                              around\n"
+               "     --system                 Operate in per-system mode\n"
+               "     --user                   Operate in per-user mode\n",
                program_invocation_short_name,
                ansi_underline(),
                ansi_normal(),
@@ -306,6 +308,8 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 ARG_SIZE_MAX,
                 ARG_CLASS,
                 ARG_KEEP_DOWNLOAD,
+                ARG_SYSTEM,
+                ARG_USER,
         };
 
         static const struct option options[] = {
@@ -328,6 +332,8 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 { "size-max",           required_argument, NULL, ARG_SIZE_MAX           },
                 { "class",              required_argument, NULL, ARG_CLASS              },
                 { "keep-download",      required_argument, NULL, ARG_KEEP_DOWNLOAD      },
+                { "system",             no_argument,       NULL, ARG_SYSTEM             },
+                { "user",               no_argument,       NULL, ARG_USER               },
                 {}
         };
 
@@ -508,6 +514,14 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                         auto_keep_download = false;
                         break;
 
+                case ARG_SYSTEM:
+                        arg_runtime_scope = RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM;
+                        break;
+
+                case ARG_USER:
+                        arg_runtime_scope = RUNTIME_SCOPE_USER;
+                        break;
+
                 case '?':
                         return -EINVAL;