diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
index 27875fb9e7..c358772f51 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/journal-file.c
@@ -1931,11 +1931,18 @@ static int post_change_thunk(sd_event_source *timer, uint64_t usec, void *userda
 }
 
 static void schedule_post_change(JournalFile *f) {
+        sd_event *e;
         int r;
 
         assert(f);
         assert(f->post_change_timer);
 
+        assert_se(e = sd_event_source_get_event(f->post_change_timer));
+
+        /* If we are aleady going down, post the change immediately. */
+        if (IN_SET(sd_event_get_state(e), SD_EVENT_EXITING, SD_EVENT_FINISHED))
+                goto fail;
+
         r = sd_event_source_get_enabled(f->post_change_timer, NULL);
         if (r < 0) {
                 log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get ftruncate timer state: %m");