diff --git a/src/basic/def.h b/src/basic/def.h
index 77ab735aed..43e7e17008 100644
--- a/src/basic/def.h
+++ b/src/basic/def.h
@@ -53,9 +53,10 @@
         "/usr/lib/kbd/keymaps/\0"
 #endif
 
-#define UNIX_SYSTEM_BUS_ADDRESS "unix:path=/var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket"
-#define DEFAULT_SYSTEM_BUS_ADDRESS UNIX_SYSTEM_BUS_ADDRESS
-#define UNIX_USER_BUS_ADDRESS_FMT "unix:path=%s/bus"
+/* Note that we use the new /run prefix here (instead of /var/run) since we require them to be aliases and that way we
+ * become independent of /var being mounted */
+#define DEFAULT_SYSTEM_BUS_ADDRESS "unix:path=/run/dbus/system_bus_socket"
+#define DEFAULT_USER_BUS_ADDRESS_FMT "unix:path=%s/bus"
 
 #define PLYMOUTH_SOCKET {                                       \
                 .un.sun_family = AF_UNIX,                       \
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
index 2f570f1aab..0266fbaf55 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
@@ -832,6 +832,7 @@ static int parse_container_unix_address(sd_bus *b, const char **p, char **guid)
                 b->nspid = 0;
 
         b->sockaddr.un.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
+        /* Note that we use the old /var/run prefix here, to increase compatibility with really old containers */
         strncpy(b->sockaddr.un.sun_path, "/var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket", sizeof(b->sockaddr.un.sun_path));
         b->sockaddr_size = SOCKADDR_UN_LEN(b->sockaddr.un);
         b->is_local = false;
@@ -1157,7 +1158,7 @@ int bus_set_address_user(sd_bus *b) {
         if (!ee)
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
-        if (asprintf(&s, UNIX_USER_BUS_ADDRESS_FMT, ee) < 0)
+        if (asprintf(&s, DEFAULT_USER_BUS_ADDRESS_FMT, ee) < 0)
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
         b->address = s;
diff --git a/src/login/pam_systemd.c b/src/login/pam_systemd.c
index 246bbddeee..1c3ba33e23 100644
--- a/src/login/pam_systemd.c
+++ b/src/login/pam_systemd.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ static int export_legacy_dbus_address(
                 return PAM_SUCCESS;
 
         s = mfree(s);
-        if (asprintf(&s, UNIX_USER_BUS_ADDRESS_FMT, runtime) < 0)
+        if (asprintf(&s, DEFAULT_USER_BUS_ADDRESS_FMT, runtime) < 0)
                 goto error;
 
         r = pam_misc_setenv(handle, "DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS", s, 0);