diff --git a/src/core/job.c b/src/core/job.c
index e78c2a70db..595fbce93a 100644
--- a/src/core/job.c
+++ b/src/core/job.c
@@ -633,16 +633,19 @@ static const char* job_done_message_format(Unit *u, JobType t, JobResult result)
                 [JOB_UNSUPPORTED] = "Starting of %s unsupported.",
                 [JOB_COLLECTED]   = "Unnecessary job was removed for %s.",
                 [JOB_ONCE]        = "Unit %s has been started before and cannot be started again.",
+                [JOB_FROZEN]      = "Cannot start frozen unit %s.",
         };
         static const char* const generic_finished_stop_job[_JOB_RESULT_MAX] = {
                 [JOB_DONE]        = "Stopped %s.",
                 [JOB_FAILED]      = "Stopped %s with error.",
                 [JOB_TIMEOUT]     = "Timed out stopping %s.",
+                [JOB_FROZEN]      = "Cannot stop frozen unit %s.",
         };
         static const char* const generic_finished_reload_job[_JOB_RESULT_MAX] = {
                 [JOB_DONE]        = "Reloaded %s.",
                 [JOB_FAILED]      = "Reload failed for %s.",
                 [JOB_TIMEOUT]     = "Timed out reloading %s.",
+                [JOB_FROZEN]      = "Cannot reload frozen unit %s.",
         };
         /* When verify-active detects the unit is inactive, report it.
          * Most likely a DEPEND warning from a requisiting unit will
@@ -704,6 +707,7 @@ static const struct {
         [JOB_UNSUPPORTED] = { LOG_WARNING, ANSI_HIGHLIGHT_YELLOW, "UNSUPP" },
         [JOB_COLLECTED]   = { LOG_INFO,                                    },
         [JOB_ONCE]        = { LOG_ERR,     ANSI_HIGHLIGHT_RED,    " ONCE " },
+        [JOB_FROZEN]      = { LOG_ERR,     ANSI_HIGHLIGHT_RED,    "FROZEN" },
 };
 
 static const char* job_done_mid(JobType type, JobResult result) {
@@ -954,6 +958,8 @@ int job_run_and_invalidate(Job *j) {
                         r = job_finish_and_invalidate(j, JOB_DEPENDENCY, true, false);
                 else if (r == -ESTALE)
                         r = job_finish_and_invalidate(j, JOB_ONCE, true, false);
+                else if (r == -EDEADLK)
+                        r = job_finish_and_invalidate(j, JOB_FROZEN, true, false);
                 else if (r < 0)
                         r = job_finish_and_invalidate(j, JOB_FAILED, true, false);
         }
@@ -1011,7 +1017,7 @@ int job_finish_and_invalidate(Job *j, JobResult result, bool recursive, bool alr
                 goto finish;
         }
 
-        if (IN_SET(result, JOB_FAILED, JOB_INVALID))
+        if (IN_SET(result, JOB_FAILED, JOB_INVALID, JOB_FROZEN))
                 j->manager->n_failed_jobs++;
 
         job_uninstall(j);
@@ -1645,6 +1651,7 @@ static const char* const job_result_table[_JOB_RESULT_MAX] = {
         [JOB_UNSUPPORTED] = "unsupported",
         [JOB_COLLECTED]   = "collected",
         [JOB_ONCE]        = "once",
+        [JOB_FROZEN]      = "frozen",
 };
 
 DEFINE_STRING_TABLE_LOOKUP(job_result, JobResult);
diff --git a/src/core/job.h b/src/core/job.h
index 891d87a79c..8318b524b4 100644
--- a/src/core/job.h
+++ b/src/core/job.h
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ enum JobResult {
         JOB_UNSUPPORTED,         /* Couldn't start a unit, because the unit type is not supported on the system */
         JOB_COLLECTED,           /* Job was garbage collected, since nothing needed it anymore */
         JOB_ONCE,                /* Unit was started before, and hence can't be started again */
+        JOB_FROZEN,              /* Unit is currently frozen, so we can't safely operate on it */
         _JOB_RESULT_MAX,
         _JOB_RESULT_INVALID = -EINVAL,
 };
diff --git a/src/core/unit.c b/src/core/unit.c
index b4634e0a86..6f61a2285e 100644
--- a/src/core/unit.c
+++ b/src/core/unit.c
@@ -1956,6 +1956,10 @@ int unit_start(Unit *u, ActivationDetails *details) {
                 return unit_start(following, details);
         }
 
+        /* Check to make sure the unit isn't frozen */
+        if (u->freezer_state != FREEZER_RUNNING)
+                return -EDEADLK;
+
         /* Check our ability to start early so that failure conditions don't cause us to enter a busy loop. */
         if (UNIT_VTABLE(u)->can_start) {
                 r = UNIT_VTABLE(u)->can_start(u);
@@ -1972,7 +1976,6 @@ int unit_start(Unit *u, ActivationDetails *details) {
          * waits for a holdoff timer to elapse before it will start again. */
 
         unit_add_to_dbus_queue(u);
-        unit_cgroup_freezer_action(u, FREEZER_THAW);
 
         if (!u->activation_details) /* Older details object wins */
                 u->activation_details = activation_details_ref(details);
@@ -2007,6 +2010,7 @@ bool unit_can_isolate(Unit *u) {
  *         -EBADR:    This unit type does not support stopping.
  *         -EALREADY: Unit is already stopped.
  *         -EAGAIN:   An operation is already in progress. Retry later.
+ *         -EDEADLK:  Unit is frozen
  */
 int unit_stop(Unit *u) {
         UnitActiveState state;
@@ -2024,11 +2028,14 @@ int unit_stop(Unit *u) {
                 return unit_stop(following);
         }
 
+        /* Check to make sure the unit isn't frozen */
+        if (u->freezer_state != FREEZER_RUNNING)
+                return -EDEADLK;
+
         if (!UNIT_VTABLE(u)->stop)
                 return -EBADR;
 
         unit_add_to_dbus_queue(u);
-        unit_cgroup_freezer_action(u, FREEZER_THAW);
 
         return UNIT_VTABLE(u)->stop(u);
 }
@@ -2053,6 +2060,7 @@ bool unit_can_stop(Unit *u) {
  *         -EBADR:    This unit type does not support reloading.
  *         -ENOEXEC:  Unit is not started.
  *         -EAGAIN:   An operation is already in progress. Retry later.
+ *         -EDEADLK:  Unit is frozen.
  */
 int unit_reload(Unit *u) {
         UnitActiveState state;
@@ -2079,6 +2087,10 @@ int unit_reload(Unit *u) {
                 return unit_reload(following);
         }
 
+        /* Check to make sure the unit isn't frozen */
+        if (u->freezer_state != FREEZER_RUNNING)
+                return -EDEADLK;
+
         unit_add_to_dbus_queue(u);
 
         if (!UNIT_VTABLE(u)->reload) {
@@ -2087,8 +2099,6 @@ int unit_reload(Unit *u) {
                 return 0;
         }
 
-        unit_cgroup_freezer_action(u, FREEZER_THAW);
-
         return UNIT_VTABLE(u)->reload(u);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/shared/bus-wait-for-jobs.c b/src/shared/bus-wait-for-jobs.c
index 70f2043347..2930552be4 100644
--- a/src/shared/bus-wait-for-jobs.c
+++ b/src/shared/bus-wait-for-jobs.c
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ static int check_wait_response(BusWaitForJobs *d, WaitJobsFlags flags, const cha
                         log_error("Queued job for %s was garbage collected.", d->name);
                 else if (streq(d->result, "once"))
                         log_error("Unit %s was started already once and can't be started again.", d->name);
+                else if (streq(d->result, "frozen"))
+                        log_error("Cannot perform operation on frozen unit %s.", d->name);
                 else if (endswith(d->name, ".service")) {
                         /* Job result is unknown. For services, let's also try Result property. */
                         _cleanup_free_ char *result = NULL;
@@ -276,6 +278,8 @@ static int check_wait_response(BusWaitForJobs *d, WaitJobsFlags flags, const cha
                 return -EOPNOTSUPP;
         else if (streq(d->result, "once"))
                 return -ESTALE;
+        else if (streq(d->result, "frozen"))
+                return -EDEADLK;
 
         return log_debug_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOMEDIUM),
                                "Unexpected job result '%s' for unit '%s', assuming server side newer than us.",
diff --git a/test/units/testsuite-38.sh b/test/units/testsuite-38.sh
index 0737b9c199..e557fa1dbf 100755
--- a/test/units/testsuite-38.sh
+++ b/test/units/testsuite-38.sh
@@ -149,31 +149,6 @@ testcase_dbus_api() {
     echo
 }
 
-testcase_jobs() {
-    local pid_before=
-    local pid_after=
-    echo "Test that it is possible to apply jobs on frozen units:"
-
-    systemctl start "${unit}"
-    dbus_freeze "${unit}"
-    check_freezer_state "${unit}" "frozen"
-
-    echo -n "  - restart: "
-    pid_before=$(systemctl show -p MainPID "${unit}" --value)
-    systemctl restart "${unit}"
-    pid_after=$(systemctl show -p MainPID "${unit}" --value)
-    [ "$pid_before" != "$pid_after" ] && echo "[ OK ]"
-
-    dbus_freeze "${unit}"
-    check_freezer_state "${unit}" "frozen"
-
-    echo -n "  - stop: "
-    timeout 5s systemctl stop "${unit}"
-    echo "[ OK ]"
-
-    echo
-}
-
 testcase_systemctl() {
     echo "Test that systemctl freeze/thaw verbs:"
 
@@ -321,6 +296,11 @@ testcase_recursive() {
     check_cgroup_state "$slice/$unit" 1
     echo "[ OK ]"
 
+    echo -n "  - can't stop a frozen unit: "
+    (! systemctl -q stop "$unit" )
+    echo "[ OK ]"
+    systemctl thaw "$unit"
+
     systemctl stop "$unit"
     systemctl stop "$slice"
 
@@ -368,6 +348,7 @@ testcase_preserve_state() {
     check_freezer_state "$unit" "frozen"
     echo "[ OK ]"
 
+    systemctl thaw "$unit"
     systemctl stop "$unit"
     systemctl stop "$slice"