diff --git a/src/core/service.c b/src/core/service.c
index 17c19a2c4a..49579f7998 100644
--- a/src/core/service.c
+++ b/src/core/service.c
@@ -190,6 +190,8 @@ void service_close_socket_fd(Service *s) {
                 socket_connection_unref(SOCKET(UNIT_DEREF(s->accept_socket)));
                 unit_ref_unset(&s->accept_socket);
         }
+
+        s->socket_peer = socket_peer_unref(s->socket_peer);
 }
 
 static void service_stop_watchdog(Service *s) {
@@ -388,7 +390,6 @@ static void service_done(Unit *u) {
         s->usb_function_strings = mfree(s->usb_function_strings);
 
         service_close_socket_fd(s);
-        s->peer = socket_peer_unref(s->peer);
 
         unit_ref_unset(&s->accept_socket);
 
@@ -1237,8 +1238,8 @@ static int service_coldplug(Unit *u) {
 
                         /* Make a best-effort attempt at bumping the connection count */
                         if (socket_acquire_peer(socket, s->socket_fd, &peer) > 0) {
-                                socket_peer_unref(s->peer);
-                                s->peer = peer;
+                                socket_peer_unref(s->socket_peer);
+                                s->socket_peer = peer;
                         }
                 }
         }
@@ -4285,8 +4286,14 @@ static void service_bus_name_owner_change(Unit *u, const char *new_owner) {
         }
 }
 
-int service_set_socket_fd(Service *s, int fd, Socket *sock, bool selinux_context_net) {
-        _cleanup_free_ char *peer = NULL;
+int service_set_socket_fd(
+                Service *s,
+                int fd,
+                Socket *sock,
+                SocketPeer *peer,
+                bool selinux_context_net) {
+
+        _cleanup_free_ char *peer_text = NULL;
         int r;
 
         assert(s);
@@ -4301,22 +4308,23 @@ int service_set_socket_fd(Service *s, int fd, Socket *sock, bool selinux_context
         if (s->socket_fd >= 0)
                 return -EBUSY;
 
+        assert(!s->socket_peer);
+
         if (s->state != SERVICE_DEAD)
                 return -EAGAIN;
 
-        if (getpeername_pretty(fd, true, &peer) >= 0) {
+        if (getpeername_pretty(fd, true, &peer_text) >= 0) {
 
                 if (UNIT(s)->description) {
                         _cleanup_free_ char *a = NULL;
 
-                        a = strjoin(UNIT(s)->description, " (", peer, ")");
+                        a = strjoin(UNIT(s)->description, " (", peer_text, ")");
                         if (!a)
                                 return -ENOMEM;
 
                         r = unit_set_description(UNIT(s), a);
                 }  else
-                        r = unit_set_description(UNIT(s), peer);
-
+                        r = unit_set_description(UNIT(s), peer_text);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
@@ -4326,6 +4334,7 @@ int service_set_socket_fd(Service *s, int fd, Socket *sock, bool selinux_context
                 return r;
 
         s->socket_fd = fd;
+        s->socket_peer = socket_peer_ref(peer);
         s->socket_fd_selinux_context_net = selinux_context_net;
 
         unit_ref_set(&s->accept_socket, UNIT(s), UNIT(sock));
diff --git a/src/core/service.h b/src/core/service.h
index 70ce70fba5..778551d844 100644
--- a/src/core/service.h
+++ b/src/core/service.h
@@ -157,8 +157,11 @@ struct Service {
         DynamicCreds dynamic_creds;
 
         pid_t main_pid, control_pid;
+
+        /* if we are a socket activated service instance, store information of the connection/peer/socket */
         int socket_fd;
-        SocketPeer *peer;
+        SocketPeer *socket_peer;
+        UnitRef accept_socket;
         bool socket_fd_selinux_context_net;
 
         bool permissions_start_only;
@@ -186,8 +189,6 @@ struct Service {
         char *status_text;
         int status_errno;
 
-        UnitRef accept_socket;
-
         sd_event_source *timer_event_source;
         PathSpec *pid_file_pathspec;
 
@@ -226,7 +227,7 @@ static inline usec_t service_get_watchdog_usec(Service *s) {
 
 extern const UnitVTable service_vtable;
 
-int service_set_socket_fd(Service *s, int fd, struct Socket *socket, bool selinux_context_net);
+int service_set_socket_fd(Service *s, int fd, struct Socket *socket, struct SocketPeer *peer, bool selinux_context_net);
 void service_close_socket_fd(Service *s);
 
 const char* service_restart_to_string(ServiceRestart i) _const_;
diff --git a/src/core/socket.c b/src/core/socket.c
index e6d168188a..d9db1edd3c 100644
--- a/src/core/socket.c
+++ b/src/core/socket.c
@@ -2409,7 +2409,7 @@ static void socket_enter_running(Socket *s, int cfd_in) {
 
                 s->n_accepted++;
 
-                r = service_set_socket_fd(SERVICE(service), cfd, s, s->selinux_context_from_net);
+                r = service_set_socket_fd(SERVICE(service), cfd, s, p, s->selinux_context_from_net);
                 if (ERRNO_IS_DISCONNECT(r))
                         return;
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -2418,8 +2418,6 @@ static void socket_enter_running(Socket *s, int cfd_in) {
                 TAKE_FD(cfd); /* We passed ownership of the fd to the service now. Forget it here. */
                 s->n_connections++;
 
-                SERVICE(service)->peer = TAKE_PTR(p); /* Pass ownership of the peer reference */
-
                 r = manager_add_job(UNIT(s)->manager, JOB_START, service, JOB_REPLACE, NULL, &error, NULL);
                 if (r < 0) {
                         /* We failed to activate the new service, but it still exists. Let's make sure the