diff --git a/src/busctl/busctl.c b/src/busctl/busctl.c
index 5623bb2ffa..f8c43b5079 100644
--- a/src/busctl/busctl.c
+++ b/src/busctl/busctl.c
@@ -2017,7 +2017,7 @@ static int busctl_main(sd_bus *bus, int argc, char *argv[]) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
-        _cleanup_(sd_bus_flush_close_unrefp) sd_bus *bus = NULL;
+        sd_bus *bus = NULL;
         int r;
 
         log_parse_environment();
@@ -2113,6 +2113,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         r = busctl_main(bus, argc, argv);
 
 finish:
+        /* make sure we terminate the bus connection first, and then close the
+         * pager, see issue #3543 for the details. */
+        sd_bus_flush_close_unref(bus);
         pager_close();
 
         strv_free(arg_matches);
diff --git a/src/locale/localectl.c b/src/locale/localectl.c
index f09fe42626..af39e431f5 100644
--- a/src/locale/localectl.c
+++ b/src/locale/localectl.c
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ static int localectl_main(sd_bus *bus, int argc, char *argv[]) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char*argv[]) {
-        _cleanup_(sd_bus_flush_close_unrefp) sd_bus *bus = NULL;
+        sd_bus *bus = NULL;
         int r;
 
         setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
@@ -615,6 +615,9 @@ int main(int argc, char*argv[]) {
         r = localectl_main(bus, argc, argv);
 
 finish:
+        /* make sure we terminate the bus connection first, and then close the
+         * pager, see issue #3543 for the details. */
+        sd_bus_flush_close_unref(bus);
         pager_close();
 
         return r < 0 ? EXIT_FAILURE : EXIT_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/src/login/loginctl.c b/src/login/loginctl.c
index dfcaff6195..c811ee6c5e 100644
--- a/src/login/loginctl.c
+++ b/src/login/loginctl.c
@@ -1584,7 +1584,7 @@ static int loginctl_main(int argc, char *argv[], sd_bus *bus) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
-        _cleanup_(sd_bus_flush_close_unrefp) sd_bus *bus = NULL;
+        sd_bus *bus = NULL;
         int r;
 
         setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
@@ -1607,6 +1607,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         r = loginctl_main(argc, argv, bus);
 
 finish:
+        /* make sure we terminate the bus connection first, and then close the
+         * pager, see issue #3543 for the details. */
+        sd_bus_flush_close_unref(bus);
         pager_close();
         polkit_agent_close();
 
diff --git a/src/machine/machinectl.c b/src/machine/machinectl.c
index 615db5afe8..75743ce6a6 100644
--- a/src/machine/machinectl.c
+++ b/src/machine/machinectl.c
@@ -3143,7 +3143,7 @@ static int machinectl_main(int argc, char *argv[], sd_bus *bus) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char*argv[]) {
-        _cleanup_(sd_bus_flush_close_unrefp) sd_bus *bus = NULL;
+        sd_bus *bus = NULL;
         int r;
 
         setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
@@ -3166,6 +3166,9 @@ int main(int argc, char*argv[]) {
         r = machinectl_main(argc, argv, bus);
 
 finish:
+        /* make sure we terminate the bus connection first, and then close the
+         * pager, see issue #3543 for the details. */
+        sd_bus_flush_close_unref(bus);
         pager_close();
         polkit_agent_close();
 
diff --git a/src/mount/mount-tool.c b/src/mount/mount-tool.c
index 131f160b50..0cd9f07094 100644
--- a/src/mount/mount-tool.c
+++ b/src/mount/mount-tool.c
@@ -1563,7 +1563,7 @@ finish:
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
-        _cleanup_(sd_bus_flush_close_unrefp) sd_bus *bus = NULL;
+        sd_bus *bus = NULL;
         int r;
 
         log_parse_environment();
@@ -1670,6 +1670,9 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         }
 
 finish:
+        /* make sure we terminate the bus connection first, and then close the
+         * pager, see issue #3543 for the details. */
+        bus = sd_bus_flush_close_unref(bus);
         pager_close();
 
         free(arg_mount_what);
diff --git a/src/timedate/timedatectl.c b/src/timedate/timedatectl.c
index e851b4ddd1..19a382c1b2 100644
--- a/src/timedate/timedatectl.c
+++ b/src/timedate/timedatectl.c
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ static int timedatectl_main(sd_bus *bus, int argc, char *argv[]) {
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
-        _cleanup_(sd_bus_flush_close_unrefp) sd_bus *bus = NULL;
+        sd_bus *bus = NULL;
         int r;
 
         setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
@@ -493,6 +493,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         r = timedatectl_main(bus, argc, argv);
 
 finish:
+        /* make sure we terminate the bus connection first, and then close the
+         * pager, see issue #3543 for the details. */
+        sd_bus_flush_close_unref(bus);
         pager_close();
 
         return r < 0 ? EXIT_FAILURE : EXIT_SUCCESS;