diff --git a/src/core/service.c b/src/core/service.c
index e7a829a564..97f129b8f0 100644
--- a/src/core/service.c
+++ b/src/core/service.c
@@ -1493,9 +1493,13 @@ static bool service_shall_restart(Service *s) {
         }
 }
 
-static bool service_will_restart(Service *s) {
+static bool service_will_restart(Unit *u) {
+        Service *s = SERVICE(u);
+
         assert(s);
 
+        if (s->will_auto_restart)
+                return true;
         if (s->state == SERVICE_AUTO_RESTART)
                 return true;
         if (!UNIT(s)->job)
@@ -1521,13 +1525,17 @@ static void service_enter_dead(Service *s, ServiceResult f, bool allow_restart)
         if (s->result != SERVICE_SUCCESS)
                 log_unit_warning(UNIT(s), "Failed with result '%s'.", service_result_to_string(s->result));
 
+        if (allow_restart && service_shall_restart(s))
+                s->will_auto_restart = true;
+
         /* Make sure service_release_resources() doesn't destroy our FD store, while we are changing through
          * SERVICE_FAILED/SERVICE_DEAD before entering into SERVICE_AUTO_RESTART. */
         s->n_keep_fd_store ++;
 
         service_set_state(s, s->result != SERVICE_SUCCESS ? SERVICE_FAILED : SERVICE_DEAD);
 
-        if (allow_restart && service_shall_restart(s)) {
+        if (s->will_auto_restart) {
+                s->will_auto_restart = false;
 
                 r = service_arm_timer(s, usec_add(now(CLOCK_MONOTONIC), s->restart_usec));
                 if (r < 0) {
@@ -1554,7 +1562,7 @@ static void service_enter_dead(Service *s, ServiceResult f, bool allow_restart)
         s->exec_runtime = exec_runtime_unref(s->exec_runtime);
 
         if (s->exec_context.runtime_directory_preserve_mode == EXEC_PRESERVE_NO ||
-            (s->exec_context.runtime_directory_preserve_mode == EXEC_PRESERVE_RESTART && !service_will_restart(s)))
+            (s->exec_context.runtime_directory_preserve_mode == EXEC_PRESERVE_RESTART && !service_will_restart(UNIT(s))))
                 /* Also, remove the runtime directory */
                 exec_context_destroy_runtime_directory(&s->exec_context, UNIT(s)->manager->prefix[EXEC_DIRECTORY_RUNTIME]);
 
@@ -3772,6 +3780,8 @@ const UnitVTable service_vtable = {
         .active_state = service_active_state,
         .sub_state_to_string = service_sub_state_to_string,
 
+        .will_restart = service_will_restart,
+
         .check_gc = service_check_gc,
 
         .sigchld_event = service_sigchld_event,
diff --git a/src/core/service.h b/src/core/service.h
index dfe27e894f..5c5b24e3ef 100644
--- a/src/core/service.h
+++ b/src/core/service.h
@@ -164,6 +164,8 @@ struct Service {
         bool main_pid_alien:1;
         bool bus_name_good:1;
         bool forbid_restart:1;
+        /* Keep restart intention between UNIT_FAILED and UNIT_ACTIVATING */
+        bool will_auto_restart:1;
         bool start_timeout_defined:1;
 
         char *bus_name;
diff --git a/src/core/unit.c b/src/core/unit.c
index 1bbe5fdded..ed0cf02678 100644
--- a/src/core/unit.c
+++ b/src/core/unit.c
@@ -2003,7 +2003,7 @@ static void unit_check_unneeded(Unit *u) {
                 void *v;
 
                 HASHMAP_FOREACH_KEY(v, other, u->dependencies[needed_dependencies[j]], i)
-                        if (unit_active_or_pending(other))
+                        if (unit_active_or_pending(other) || unit_will_restart(other))
                                 return;
         }
 
@@ -3794,6 +3794,15 @@ bool unit_active_or_pending(Unit *u) {
         return false;
 }
 
+bool unit_will_restart(Unit *u) {
+        assert(u);
+
+        if (!UNIT_VTABLE(u)->will_restart)
+                return false;
+
+        return UNIT_VTABLE(u)->will_restart(u);
+}
+
 int unit_kill(Unit *u, KillWho w, int signo, sd_bus_error *error) {
         assert(u);
         assert(w >= 0 && w < _KILL_WHO_MAX);
diff --git a/src/core/unit.h b/src/core/unit.h
index 92bb4779a9..fdd82315ba 100644
--- a/src/core/unit.h
+++ b/src/core/unit.h
@@ -484,6 +484,9 @@ struct UnitVTable {
          * unit is in. */
         const char* (*sub_state_to_string)(Unit *u);
 
+        /* Additionally to UnitActiveState determine whether unit is to be restarted. */
+        bool (*will_restart)(Unit *u);
+
         /* Return true when there is reason to keep this entry around
          * even nothing references it and it isn't active in any
          * way */
@@ -706,6 +709,7 @@ const char *unit_slice_name(Unit *u);
 bool unit_stop_pending(Unit *u) _pure_;
 bool unit_inactive_or_pending(Unit *u) _pure_;
 bool unit_active_or_pending(Unit *u);
+bool unit_will_restart(Unit *u);
 
 int unit_add_default_target_dependency(Unit *u, Unit *target);