diff --git a/man/homectl.xml b/man/homectl.xml
index d3cb378e0e..41d7ce52b5 100644
--- a/man/homectl.xml
+++ b/man/homectl.xml
@@ -692,6 +692,17 @@
 
         <xi:include href="version-info.xml" xpointer="v247"/></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
+
+      <varlistentry>
+        <term><option>--recovery-key-file=<replaceable>PATH</replaceable></option></term>
+
+        <listitem><para>Attempts to write the generated recovery key to the specified file. The file is
+        created with access mode <literal>0600</literal> and must not exist yet. This option may only be used
+        together with <option>--recovery-key=yes</option>. If the file cannot be written, a warning is shown
+        and the account operation still succeeds. The recovery key is always shown on screen.</para>
+
+        <xi:include href="version-info.xml" xpointer="v262"/></listitem>
+      </varlistentry>
     </variablelist>
   </refsect1>
 
diff --git a/shell-completion/bash/homectl b/shell-completion/bash/homectl
index 8976245fda..5cf09363e5 100644
--- a/shell-completion/bash/homectl
+++ b/shell-completion/bash/homectl
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ _homectl() {
                         --language
                         --ssh-authorized-keys
                         --pkcs11-token-uri
+                        --recovery-key
+                        --recovery-key-file
                         --locked
                         --not-before
                         --not-after
@@ -126,7 +128,7 @@ _homectl() {
             --machine|-M)
                 comps=$( __get_machines )
                 ;;
-            --identity|--image-path|--avatar|--login-background)
+            --identity|--image-path|--avatar|--login-background|--recovery-key-file)
                 comps=$(compgen -A file -- "$cur" )
                 compopt -o filenames
                 ;;
@@ -136,7 +138,7 @@ _homectl() {
             --export-format)
                 comps='full stripped minimal'
                 ;;
-            --locked|--enforce-password-policy|--password-change-now|--luks-discard|--luks-offline-discard|--nosuid|--nodev|--noexec|--kill-processes|--auto-login)
+            --locked|--recovery-key|--enforce-password-policy|--password-change-now|--luks-discard|--luks-offline-discard|--nosuid|--nodev|--noexec|--kill-processes|--auto-login)
                 comps='yes no'
                 ;;
             -d|--home-dir|--skel|-b|--blob)
diff --git a/src/home/homectl-recovery-key.c b/src/home/homectl-recovery-key.c
index e6b5a80ce6..f8f2381ab9 100644
--- a/src/home/homectl-recovery-key.c
+++ b/src/home/homectl-recovery-key.c
@@ -1,16 +1,26 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
 
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
 #include "ansi-color.h"
+#include "chase.h"
 #include "errno-util.h"
+#include "fd-util.h"
 #include "glyph-util.h"
 #include "homectl-recovery-key.h"
+#include "io-util.h"
 #include "json-util.h"
 #include "libcrypt-util.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "memory-util.h"
+#include "path-util.h"
 #include "qrcode-util.h"
 #include "recovery-key.h"
 #include "strv.h"
+#include "tmpfile-util.h"
 
 static int add_privileged(sd_json_variant **v, const char *hashed) {
         _cleanup_(sd_json_variant_unrefp) sd_json_variant *e = NULL, *w = NULL, *l = NULL;
@@ -103,11 +113,12 @@ static int add_secret(sd_json_variant **v, const char *password) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-int identity_add_recovery_key(sd_json_variant **v) {
+int identity_add_recovery_key(sd_json_variant **v, char **ret_recovery_key) {
         _cleanup_(erase_and_freep) char *password = NULL, *hashed = NULL;
         int r;
 
         assert(v);
+        assert(ret_recovery_key);
 
         /* First, let's generate a secret key  */
         r = make_recovery_key(&password);
@@ -134,6 +145,13 @@ int identity_add_recovery_key(sd_json_variant **v) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
+        *ret_recovery_key = TAKE_PTR(password);
+        return 0;
+}
+
+void show_recovery_key(const char *recovery_key) {
+        assert(recovery_key);
+
         /* We output the key itself with a trailing newline to stdout and the decoration around it to stderr
          * instead. */
 
@@ -146,7 +164,7 @@ int identity_add_recovery_key(sd_json_variant **v) {
                 ansi_highlight());
         fflush(stderr);
 
-        fputs(password, stdout);
+        fputs(recovery_key, stdout);
         fflush(stdout);
 
         fputs(ansi_normal(), stderr);
@@ -161,7 +179,48 @@ int identity_add_recovery_key(sd_json_variant **v) {
               "whenever authentication is requested.\n", stderr);
         fflush(stderr);
 
-        (void) print_qrcode(stderr, "Optionally scan the recovery key for safekeeping", password);
+        (void) print_qrcode(stderr, "Optionally scan the recovery key for safekeeping", recovery_key);
+}
 
+int recovery_key_file_write(const char *path, const char *recovery_key) {
+        _cleanup_free_ char *filename = NULL, *tmp = NULL;
+        _cleanup_close_ int dir_fd = -EBADF, fd = -EBADF;
+        int r;
+
+        assert(path);
+        assert(recovery_key);
+
+        r = chase(path,
+                  /* root= */ NULL,
+                  CHASE_PARENT|CHASE_EXTRACT_FILENAME|CHASE_PROHIBIT_SYMLINKS,
+                  &filename,
+                  &dir_fd);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+        if (!filename_is_valid(filename))
+                return -EINVAL;
+
+        fd = open_tmpfile_linkable_at(dir_fd, filename, O_WRONLY|O_CLOEXEC, &tmp);
+        if (fd < 0)
+                return fd;
+
+        CLEANUP_TMPFILE_AT(dir_fd, tmp);
+
+        if (fchmod(fd, 0600) < 0)
+                return -errno;
+
+        r = loop_write(fd, recovery_key, strlen(recovery_key));
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        r = loop_write(fd, "\n", 1);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        r = link_tmpfile_at(fd, dir_fd, tmp, filename, LINK_TMPFILE_SYNC);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        tmp = mfree(tmp); /* disarm CLEANUP_TMPFILE_AT() */
         return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/home/homectl-recovery-key.h b/src/home/homectl-recovery-key.h
index 5a48f5fec1..82ef39df6f 100644
--- a/src/home/homectl-recovery-key.h
+++ b/src/home/homectl-recovery-key.h
@@ -3,4 +3,6 @@
 
 #include "forward.h"
 
-int identity_add_recovery_key(sd_json_variant **v);
+int identity_add_recovery_key(sd_json_variant **v, char **ret_recovery_key);
+void show_recovery_key(const char *recovery_key);
+int recovery_key_file_write(const char *path, const char *recovery_key);
diff --git a/src/home/homectl.c b/src/home/homectl.c
index e5c2857134..929a3a1ccb 100644
--- a/src/home/homectl.c
+++ b/src/home/homectl.c
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ static int arg_fido2_cred_alg = COSE_ES256;
 static int arg_fido2_cred_alg = 0;
 #endif
 static bool arg_recovery_key = false;
+static char *arg_recovery_key_file = NULL;
 static sd_json_format_flags_t arg_json_format_flags = SD_JSON_FORMAT_OFF;
 static ExportFormat arg_export_format = EXPORT_FORMAT_FULL;
 static uint64_t arg_capability_bounding_set = CAP_MASK_UNSET;
@@ -131,6 +132,7 @@ STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_identity_filter, strv_freep);
 STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_identity_filter_rlimits, strv_freep);
 STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_pkcs11_token_uri, strv_freep);
 STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_fido2_device, strv_freep);
+STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_recovery_key_file, freep);
 STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_blob_dir, freep);
 STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_blob_files, hashmap_freep);
 STATIC_DESTRUCTOR_REGISTER(arg_key_name, freep);
@@ -157,6 +159,7 @@ static bool identity_properties_specified(void) {
                 !strv_isempty(arg_identity_filter_rlimits) ||
                 !strv_isempty(arg_pkcs11_token_uri) ||
                 !strv_isempty(arg_fido2_device) ||
+                arg_recovery_key ||
                 arg_blob_dir ||
                 arg_blob_clear ||
                 !hashmap_isempty(arg_blob_files);
@@ -1016,12 +1019,14 @@ static int add_disposition(sd_json_variant **v) {
         return 1;
 }
 
-static int acquire_new_home_record(sd_json_variant *input, UserRecord **ret) {
+static int acquire_new_home_record(sd_json_variant *input, UserRecord **ret, char **ret_recovery_key) {
         _cleanup_(sd_json_variant_unrefp) sd_json_variant *v = NULL;
+        _cleanup_(erase_and_freep) char *recovery_key = NULL;
         _cleanup_(user_record_unrefp) UserRecord *hr = NULL;
         int r;
 
         assert(ret);
+        assert(ret_recovery_key);
 
         if (arg_identity) {
                 unsigned line = 0, column = 0;
@@ -1062,7 +1067,7 @@ static int acquire_new_home_record(sd_json_variant *input, UserRecord **ret) {
         }
 
         if (arg_recovery_key) {
-                r = identity_add_recovery_key(&v);
+                r = identity_add_recovery_key(&v, &recovery_key);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
@@ -1094,6 +1099,7 @@ static int acquire_new_home_record(sd_json_variant *input, UserRecord **ret) {
                 return r;
 
         *ret = TAKE_PTR(hr);
+        *ret_recovery_key = TAKE_PTR(recovery_key);
         return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1316,13 +1322,31 @@ static int bus_message_append_blobs(sd_bus_message *m, Hashmap *blobs) {
         return sd_bus_message_close_container(m);
 }
 
+static void finalize_recovery_key(const char *recovery_key, const char *recovery_key_file) {
+        int r;
+
+        if (!recovery_key)
+                return;
+
+        if (recovery_key_file) {
+                r = recovery_key_file_write(recovery_key_file, recovery_key);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        log_warning_errno(r,
+                                          "Failed to write recovery key file '%s', ignoring: %m",
+                                          recovery_key_file);
+        }
+
+        show_recovery_key(recovery_key);
+}
+
 static int create_home_common(sd_json_variant *input, bool show_enforce_password_policy_hint) {
         _cleanup_(sd_bus_flush_close_unrefp) sd_bus *bus = NULL;
         _cleanup_(user_record_unrefp) UserRecord *hr = NULL;
         _cleanup_hashmap_free_ Hashmap *blobs = NULL;
+        _cleanup_(erase_and_freep) char *recovery_key = NULL;
         int r;
 
-        r = acquire_new_home_record(input, &hr);
+        r = acquire_new_home_record(input, &hr, &recovery_key);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -1369,6 +1393,7 @@ static int create_home_common(sd_json_variant *input, bool show_enforce_password
 
         if (arg_dry_run) {
                 sd_json_variant_dump(hr->json, SD_JSON_FORMAT_COLOR_AUTO|SD_JSON_FORMAT_PRETTY_AUTO|SD_JSON_FORMAT_NEWLINE, stderr, /* prefix= */ NULL);
+                finalize_recovery_key(recovery_key, /* recovery_key_file= */ NULL);
                 return 0;
         }
 
@@ -1430,6 +1455,7 @@ static int create_home_common(sd_json_variant *input, bool show_enforce_password
                         break; /* done */
         }
 
+        finalize_recovery_key(recovery_key, arg_recovery_key_file);
         return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1473,13 +1499,16 @@ static int verb_create_home(int argc, char *argv[], uintptr_t _data, void *userd
 static int acquire_updated_home_record(
                 sd_bus *bus,
                 const char *username,
-                UserRecord **ret) {
+                UserRecord **ret,
+                char **ret_recovery_key) {
 
         _cleanup_(sd_json_variant_unrefp) sd_json_variant *json = NULL;
+        _cleanup_(erase_and_freep) char *recovery_key = NULL;
         _cleanup_(user_record_unrefp) UserRecord *hr = NULL;
         int r;
 
         assert(ret);
+        assert(ret_recovery_key);
 
         if (arg_identity) {
                 unsigned line = 0, column = 0;
@@ -1561,7 +1590,7 @@ static int acquire_updated_home_record(
         }
 
         if (arg_recovery_key) {
-                r = identity_add_recovery_key(&json);
+                r = identity_add_recovery_key(&json, &recovery_key);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
@@ -1584,6 +1613,7 @@ static int acquire_updated_home_record(
                 return r;
 
         *ret = TAKE_PTR(hr);
+        *ret_recovery_key = TAKE_PTR(recovery_key);
         return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1617,6 +1647,7 @@ static int verb_update_home(int argc, char *argv[], uintptr_t _data, void *userd
         _cleanup_(sd_bus_flush_close_unrefp) sd_bus *bus = NULL;
         _cleanup_(user_record_unrefp) UserRecord *hr = NULL, *secret = NULL;
         _cleanup_free_ char *buffer = NULL;
+        _cleanup_(erase_and_freep) char *recovery_key = NULL;
         _cleanup_hashmap_free_ Hashmap *blobs = NULL;
         const char *username;
         uint64_t flags = 0;
@@ -1642,7 +1673,7 @@ static int verb_update_home(int argc, char *argv[], uintptr_t _data, void *userd
 
         (void) polkit_agent_open_if_enabled(arg_transport, arg_ask_password);
 
-        r = acquire_updated_home_record(bus, username, &hr);
+        r = acquire_updated_home_record(bus, username, &hr, &recovery_key);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -1661,6 +1692,7 @@ static int verb_update_home(int argc, char *argv[], uintptr_t _data, void *userd
 
         if (arg_dry_run) {
                 sd_json_variant_dump(hr->json, SD_JSON_FORMAT_COLOR_AUTO|SD_JSON_FORMAT_PRETTY_AUTO|SD_JSON_FORMAT_NEWLINE, stderr, /* prefix= */ NULL);
+                finalize_recovery_key(recovery_key, /* recovery_key_file= */ NULL);
                 return 0;
         }
 
@@ -1716,6 +1748,8 @@ static int verb_update_home(int argc, char *argv[], uintptr_t _data, void *userd
                         break;
         }
 
+        finalize_recovery_key(recovery_key, arg_recovery_key_file);
+
         if (and_resize)
                 log_info("Resizing home.");
 
@@ -4370,6 +4404,12 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[], char ***remaining_args) {
                                 return r;
                         break;
 
+                OPTION_LONG("recovery-key-file", "PATH", "Write the generated recovery key to a file"):
+                        r = parse_path_argument(opts.arg, /* suppress_root= */ false, &arg_recovery_key_file);
+                        if (r < 0)
+                                return r;
+                        break;
+
                 OPTION_GROUP("Blob Directory User Record Properties"): {}
 
                 OPTION('b', "blob", "[FILENAME=]PATH",
@@ -4877,6 +4917,9 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[], char ***remaining_args) {
                 }
         }
 
+        if (arg_recovery_key_file && !arg_recovery_key)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL), "--recovery-key-file= requires --recovery-key=yes.");
+
         *remaining_args = option_parser_get_args(&opts);
         return 1;
 }
diff --git a/test/units/TEST-46-HOMED.sh b/test/units/TEST-46-HOMED.sh
index aaa40455d1..ee0b249db0 100755
--- a/test/units/TEST-46-HOMED.sh
+++ b/test/units/TEST-46-HOMED.sh
@@ -267,6 +267,76 @@ testcase_basic() {
     homectl remove test-user
 }
 
+testcase_recovery_key_file() (
+    local KEY_DIR
+    KEY_DIR="$(mktemp -d /tmp/homed-recovery-key-file.XXXXXX)"
+    local KEY_FILE="$KEY_DIR/recovery-key"
+    local KEY_FILE2="$KEY_DIR/recovery-key-update"
+    local DRY_RUN_OUTPUT="$KEY_DIR/dry-run.out"
+    local DRY_RUN_ERROR="$KEY_DIR/dry-run.err"
+    local UPDATE_EXISTING_OUTPUT="$KEY_DIR/update-existing.out"
+    local KEY_FILE_CONTENT
+
+    homectl remove recoverykeyfiletest 2>/dev/null || true
+
+    trap 'homectl remove recoverykeyfiletest 2>/dev/null || true; rm -rf "$KEY_DIR"' EXIT ERR
+
+    (! NEWPASSWORD=Secr3tRecovery \
+        homectl create recoverykeyfiletest \
+        --storage=directory \
+        --recovery-key-file="$KEY_FILE" \
+        --enforce-password-policy=no )
+
+    SYSTEMD_HOME_DRY_RUN=1 \
+    NEWPASSWORD=Secr3tRecovery \
+        homectl create recoverykeyfiletest \
+        --storage=directory \
+        --recovery-key=yes \
+        --recovery-key-file="$KEY_FILE" \
+        --enforce-password-policy=no \
+        >"$DRY_RUN_OUTPUT" \
+        2>"$DRY_RUN_ERROR"
+    grep -E '^[cbdefghijklnrtuv]{8}(-[cbdefghijklnrtuv]{8}){7}$' "$DRY_RUN_OUTPUT" >/dev/null
+    test ! -e "$KEY_FILE"
+
+    NEWPASSWORD=Secr3tRecovery \
+        homectl create recoverykeyfiletest \
+        --storage=directory \
+        --recovery-key=yes \
+        --recovery-key-file="$KEY_FILE" \
+        --rate-limit-interval=1s \
+        --rate-limit-burst=1000 \
+        --enforce-password-policy=no
+
+    test -s "$KEY_FILE"
+    [[ "$(stat -c "%a" "$KEY_FILE")" == "600" ]]
+    grep -E '^[cbdefghijklnrtuv]{8}(-[cbdefghijklnrtuv]{8}){7}$' "$KEY_FILE" >/dev/null
+    PASSWORD="$(cat "$KEY_FILE")" homectl authenticate recoverykeyfiletest
+
+    KEY_FILE_CONTENT="$(cat "$KEY_FILE")"
+    PASSWORD=Secr3tRecovery \
+        homectl update recoverykeyfiletest \
+        --recovery-key=yes \
+        --recovery-key-file="$KEY_FILE" \
+        >"$UPDATE_EXISTING_OUTPUT"
+    [[ "$(cat "$KEY_FILE")" == "$KEY_FILE_CONTENT" ]]
+    grep -E '^[cbdefghijklnrtuv]{8}(-[cbdefghijklnrtuv]{8}){7}$' "$UPDATE_EXISTING_OUTPUT" >/dev/null
+    PASSWORD="$(cat "$UPDATE_EXISTING_OUTPUT")" homectl authenticate recoverykeyfiletest
+
+    PASSWORD=Secr3tRecovery \
+        homectl update recoverykeyfiletest \
+        --recovery-key=yes \
+        --recovery-key-file="$KEY_FILE2"
+
+    test -s "$KEY_FILE2"
+    [[ "$(stat -c "%a" "$KEY_FILE2")" == "600" ]]
+    grep -E '^[cbdefghijklnrtuv]{8}(-[cbdefghijklnrtuv]{8}){7}$' "$KEY_FILE2" >/dev/null
+    PASSWORD="$(cat "$KEY_FILE2")" homectl authenticate recoverykeyfiletest
+
+    homectl remove recoverykeyfiletest
+    rm -rf "$KEY_DIR"
+)
+
 testcase_blob() {
     # blob directory tests
     # See docs/USER_RECORD_BLOB_DIRS.md
@@ -1115,6 +1185,7 @@ testcase_identity_groups() {
 
     machinectl shell idgrouptest@ /usr/bin/bash -euxo pipefail -c "jq '.memberOf = ((.memberOf // []) + [\"systemd-journal\"] | unique) | .lastChangeUSec = ((.lastChangeUSec // 0) + 3600000000)' /home/idgrouptest/.identity > /home/idgrouptest/.identity.new && mv -f /home/idgrouptest/.identity.new /home/idgrouptest/.identity"
     jq -e '.memberOf | index("systemd-journal") != null' /home/idgrouptest/.identity
+    wait_for_state idgrouptest active
 
     PASSWORD=foobar homectl authenticate idgrouptest