diff --git a/src/shared/main-func.c b/src/shared/main-func.c
index 4aa6d10433..a90fb458bd 100644
--- a/src/shared/main-func.c
+++ b/src/shared/main-func.c
@@ -3,9 +3,12 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
 #include "sd-daemon.h"
+#include "sd-event.h"
+#include "sd-future.h"
 
 #include "argv-util.h"
 #include "ask-password-agent.h"
+#include "log.h"
 #include "main-func.h"
 #include "pager.h"
 #include "polkit-agent.h"
@@ -34,3 +37,72 @@ int exit_failure_if_negative(int result) {
 int exit_failure_if_nonzero(int result) {
         return result < 0 ? EXIT_FAILURE : result;
 }
+
+typedef struct MainFiberContext {
+        int argc;
+        char **argv;
+        main_fiber_func_t func;
+
+        int result;
+        bool exit_requested;
+} MainFiberContext;
+
+static int main_fiber_trampoline(void *userdata) {
+        MainFiberContext *ctx = ASSERT_PTR(userdata);
+        sd_event *event = ASSERT_PTR(sd_fiber_get_event());
+
+        ctx->result = ctx->func(ctx->argc, ctx->argv);
+
+        /* impl's result is an errno, the exit code an exit status that impl's exit handlers see: keep
+         * them apart. */
+        ctx->exit_requested = sd_event_get_exit_code(event, /* ret= */ NULL) >= 0;
+        if (!ctx->exit_requested)
+                (void) sd_event_exit(event, 0);
+
+        return ctx->result;
+}
+
+int run_main_fiber(int argc, char *argv[], main_fiber_func_t func) {
+        _cleanup_(sd_event_unrefp) sd_event *event = NULL;
+        MainFiberContext ctx = {
+                .argc = argc,
+                .argv = argv,
+                .func = func,
+        };
+        int r;
+
+        assert(func);
+
+        r = sd_event_default(&event);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to allocate event loop: %m");
+
+        /* The fiber gets a pointer into this frame and is only unwound by the loop we run below, which
+         * requires that we own that loop and that sd_fiber_new() arms the fiber's exit event source. */
+        if (sd_fiber_is_running() || sd_event_get_state(event) != SD_EVENT_INITIAL)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EBUSY),
+                                       "Refusing to run a main fiber on a busy event loop.");
+
+        /* Fire-and-forget: the loop unwinds the fiber through its exit event source, and a suspended
+         * fiber is one we couldn't drop a reference to anyway. */
+        r = sd_fiber_new(event, program_invocation_short_name, main_fiber_trampoline, &ctx,
+                         /* destroy= */ NULL, /* ret= */ NULL);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to spawn main fiber: %m");
+
+        r = sd_event_loop(event);
+        if (sd_event_get_state(event) != SD_EVENT_FINISHED)
+                /* Exit sources never ran, so the fiber may still be suspended with no working loop left
+                 * to unwind it. Leak both.
+                 *
+                 * TODO: detach the loop from the default slot, it stays reachable with the abandoned
+                 * fiber's sources armed on it, pointing into this frame. */
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Event loop failed: %m");
+
+        /* An impl cancelled by the exit request just echoes -ECANCELED back at us, so let the requested
+         * status speak. Anything else is impl's own verdict, and its successes stay out of the status. */
+        if (ctx.exit_requested && (ctx.result >= 0 || ctx.result == -ECANCELED))
+                return r;
+
+        return ctx.result < 0 ? ctx.result : 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/shared/main-func.h b/src/shared/main-func.h
index 00d671f0ce..fdc6e8c843 100644
--- a/src/shared/main-func.h
+++ b/src/shared/main-func.h
@@ -34,3 +34,13 @@ int exit_failure_if_nonzero(int result) _const_;
  * Note: "true" means failure! */
 #define DEFINE_MAIN_FUNCTION_WITH_POSITIVE_FAILURE(impl)                \
         _DEFINE_MAIN_FUNCTION(, impl(argc, argv), exit_failure_if_nonzero)
+
+typedef int (*main_fiber_func_t)(int argc, char *argv[]);
+
+/* Spawn impl as a fiber on the default event loop and run the loop until it returns. impl follows the
+ * DEFINE_MAIN_FUNCTION convention: negative is failure, anything else success. sd_event_exit() picks an
+ * explicit exit status, cancels impl, and wins over its result. Signal policy belongs to impl. */
+int run_main_fiber(int argc, char *argv[], main_fiber_func_t func);
+
+#define DEFINE_MAIN_FUNCTION_FIBER(impl)                                \
+        _DEFINE_MAIN_FUNCTION(, run_main_fiber(argc, argv, impl), exit_failure_if_nonzero)
diff --git a/src/test/meson.build b/src/test/meson.build
index e41233a3c8..cbd96e1dc2 100644
--- a/src/test/meson.build
+++ b/src/test/meson.build
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ simple_tests += files(
         'test-login-util.c',
         'test-machine-util.c',
         'test-macro.c',
+        'test-main-func-fiber.c',
+        'test-main-func.c',
         'test-memfd-util.c',
         'test-memory-util.c',
         'test-mempool.c',
diff --git a/src/test/test-main-func-fiber.c b/src/test/test-main-func-fiber.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a9ba15e16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/test-main-func-fiber.c
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
+
+#include "main-func.h"
+#include "tests.h"
+
+static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        ASSERT_GE(argc, 1);
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(argv);
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(argv[0]);
+        ASSERT_NULL(argv[argc]);
+
+        /* A positive result means success, so this has to exit zero. */
+        return 23;
+}
+
+DEFINE_MAIN_FUNCTION_FIBER(run);
diff --git a/src/test/test-main-func.c b/src/test/test-main-func.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a92ddee1ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/test-main-func.c
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
+
+#include <signal.h>
+
+#include "sd-event.h"
+#include "sd-future.h"
+
+#include "main-func.h"
+#include "tests.h"
+
+static char *test_argv[] = {
+        (char*) "alpha",
+        (char*) "beta",
+        NULL,
+};
+
+static void assert_test_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        ASSERT_EQ(argc, 2);
+        ASSERT_PTR_EQ(argv, test_argv);
+        ASSERT_STREQ(argv[0], "alpha");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(argv[1], "beta");
+        ASSERT_NULL(argv[2]);
+}
+
+static int run_main_fiber_checked(main_fiber_func_t func) {
+        _cleanup_(sd_event_unrefp) sd_event *event = NULL;
+        int r;
+
+        r = run_main_fiber(2, test_argv, func);
+
+        /* The main fiber, and with it the event loop it pins, has to be gone by the time run_main_fiber()
+         * returns, so allocating the default event again must hand out a fresh one. */
+        ASSERT_OK_POSITIVE(sd_event_default(&event));
+
+        return r;
+}
+
+static int return_argc(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        assert_test_argv(argc, argv);
+
+        return argc;
+}
+
+static int return_cancelled(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        assert_test_argv(argc, argv);
+
+        return -ECANCELED;
+}
+
+TEST(result) {
+        /* Positive results mean success and stay out of the exit status. */
+        ASSERT_OK_ZERO(run_main_fiber_checked(return_argc));
+        ASSERT_ERROR(run_main_fiber_checked(return_cancelled), ECANCELED);
+}
+
+static int nested_run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        assert_test_argv(argc, argv);
+
+        /* Attaching another main fiber to the running loop would leave it behind once we return. */
+        ASSERT_ERROR(run_main_fiber(argc, argv, return_argc), EBUSY);
+        return 0;
+}
+
+TEST(nested) {
+        ASSERT_OK_ZERO(run_main_fiber_checked(nested_run));
+}
+
+static int signal_to_raise;
+
+static int raise_signal(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        assert_test_argv(argc, argv);
+
+        ASSERT_OK(sd_event_set_signal_exit(sd_fiber_get_event(), true));
+
+        ASSERT_OK_ERRNO(raise(signal_to_raise));
+        ASSERT_ERROR(sd_fiber_suspend(), ECANCELED);
+        return -ECANCELED;
+}
+
+TEST(signal) {
+        FOREACH_ARGUMENT(signal_to_raise, SIGINT, SIGTERM)
+                ASSERT_OK_ZERO(run_main_fiber_checked(raise_signal));
+}
+
+static int fail_event(sd_event_source *s, void *userdata) {
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(s);
+        ASSERT_NULL(userdata);
+
+        return -EINVAL;
+}
+
+static bool fiber_unwound;
+
+static void mark_fiber_unwound(bool *marker) {
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(marker);
+        fiber_unwound = true;
+}
+
+static int event_loop_error(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        _cleanup_(sd_event_source_unrefp) sd_event_source *defer = NULL;
+        _unused_ _cleanup_(mark_fiber_unwound) bool unwind_marker = false;
+
+        assert_test_argv(argc, argv);
+
+        ASSERT_OK(sd_event_add_defer(sd_fiber_get_event(), &defer, fail_event, /* userdata= */ NULL));
+        ASSERT_OK(sd_event_source_set_exit_on_failure(defer, true));
+        ASSERT_ERROR(sd_fiber_suspend(), ECANCELED);
+        return -ECANCELED;
+}
+
+TEST(event_loop_error) {
+        fiber_unwound = false;
+
+        ASSERT_ERROR(run_main_fiber_checked(event_loop_error), EINVAL);
+        ASSERT_TRUE(fiber_unwound);
+}
+
+static int exit_event(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        assert_test_argv(argc, argv);
+
+        ASSERT_OK(sd_event_exit(sd_fiber_get_event(), 23));
+        ASSERT_ERROR(sd_fiber_suspend(), ECANCELED);
+        return -ECANCELED;
+}
+
+static int exit_event_and_return(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        assert_test_argv(argc, argv);
+
+        ASSERT_OK(sd_event_exit(sd_fiber_get_event(), 23));
+        return 0;
+}
+
+static int exit_event_and_fail(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+        assert_test_argv(argc, argv);
+
+        ASSERT_OK(sd_event_exit(sd_fiber_get_event(), 0));
+        return -ENOANO;
+}
+
+TEST(event_exit_code) {
+        ASSERT_EQ(run_main_fiber_checked(exit_event), 23);
+        ASSERT_EQ(run_main_fiber_checked(exit_event_and_return), 23);
+
+        /* Requesting an exit doesn't cancel a running impl, so its failure still wins. */
+        ASSERT_ERROR(run_main_fiber_checked(exit_event_and_fail), ENOANO);
+}
+
+DEFINE_TEST_MAIN(LOG_DEBUG);