diff --git a/src/core/core-varlink.c b/src/core/core-varlink.c
index dd6c11ab4d..d695106658 100644
--- a/src/core/core-varlink.c
+++ b/src/core/core-varlink.c
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ int manager_varlink_init(Manager *m) {
         if (!MANAGER_IS_SYSTEM(m))
                 return 0;
 
-        r = varlink_server_new(&s, VARLINK_SERVER_ACCOUNT_UID);
+        r = varlink_server_new(&s, VARLINK_SERVER_ACCOUNT_UID|VARLINK_SERVER_INHERIT_USERDATA);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to allocate varlink server object: %m");
 
diff --git a/src/home/homed-manager.c b/src/home/homed-manager.c
index 365ea4d234..91cabd5cef 100644
--- a/src/home/homed-manager.c
+++ b/src/home/homed-manager.c
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ static int manager_bind_varlink(Manager *m) {
         assert(m);
         assert(!m->varlink_server);
 
-        r = varlink_server_new(&m->varlink_server, VARLINK_SERVER_ACCOUNT_UID);
+        r = varlink_server_new(&m->varlink_server, VARLINK_SERVER_ACCOUNT_UID|VARLINK_SERVER_INHERIT_USERDATA);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to allocate varlink server object: %m");
 
diff --git a/src/journal/journald-server.c b/src/journal/journald-server.c
index 10ebc3e22e..5cad374083 100644
--- a/src/journal/journald-server.c
+++ b/src/journal/journald-server.c
@@ -2033,7 +2033,7 @@ static int server_open_varlink(Server *s, const char *socket, int fd) {
 
         assert(s);
 
-        r = varlink_server_new(&s->varlink_server, VARLINK_SERVER_ROOT_ONLY);
+        r = varlink_server_new(&s->varlink_server, VARLINK_SERVER_ROOT_ONLY|VARLINK_SERVER_INHERIT_USERDATA);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
diff --git a/src/machine/machined-varlink.c b/src/machine/machined-varlink.c
index 2d6c1991a4..009d283acc 100644
--- a/src/machine/machined-varlink.c
+++ b/src/machine/machined-varlink.c
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ int manager_varlink_init(Manager *m) {
         if (m->varlink_server)
                 return 0;
 
-        r = varlink_server_new(&s, VARLINK_SERVER_ACCOUNT_UID);
+        r = varlink_server_new(&s, VARLINK_SERVER_ACCOUNT_UID|VARLINK_SERVER_INHERIT_USERDATA);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to allocate varlink server object: %m");
 
diff --git a/src/resolve/resolved-varlink.c b/src/resolve/resolved-varlink.c
index 70d6f9056d..2fb9d38dfa 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolved-varlink.c
+++ b/src/resolve/resolved-varlink.c
@@ -269,11 +269,13 @@ static int vl_method_resolve_hostname(Varlink *link, JsonVariant *parameters, Va
         _cleanup_(lookup_parameters_destroy) LookupParameters p = {
                 .family = AF_UNSPEC,
         };
-        Manager *m = userdata;
         DnsQuery *q;
+        Manager *m;
         int r;
 
         assert(link);
+
+        m = varlink_server_get_userdata(varlink_get_server(link));
         assert(m);
 
         if (FLAGS_SET(flags, VARLINK_METHOD_ONEWAY))
@@ -447,11 +449,13 @@ static int vl_method_resolve_address(Varlink *link, JsonVariant *parameters, Var
         _cleanup_(lookup_parameters_destroy) LookupParameters p = {
                 .family = AF_UNSPEC,
         };
-        Manager *m = userdata;
         DnsQuery *q;
+        Manager *m;
         int r;
 
         assert(link);
+
+        m = varlink_server_get_userdata(varlink_get_server(link));
         assert(m);
 
         if (FLAGS_SET(flags, VARLINK_METHOD_ONEWAY))
diff --git a/src/shared/varlink.c b/src/shared/varlink.c
index 274709abd5..24865fa07e 100644
--- a/src/shared/varlink.c
+++ b/src/shared/varlink.c
@@ -2137,7 +2137,9 @@ int varlink_server_add_connection(VarlinkServer *server, int fd, Varlink **ret)
                 return r;
 
         v->fd = fd;
-        v->userdata = server->userdata;
+        if (server->flags & VARLINK_SERVER_INHERIT_USERDATA)
+                v->userdata = server->userdata;
+
         if (ucred_acquired) {
                 v->ucred = ucred;
                 v->ucred_acquired = true;
diff --git a/src/shared/varlink.h b/src/shared/varlink.h
index 7ea1f9113f..66a1ff630e 100644
--- a/src/shared/varlink.h
+++ b/src/shared/varlink.h
@@ -41,11 +41,12 @@ typedef enum VarlinkMethodFlags {
 } VarlinkMethodFlags;
 
 typedef enum VarlinkServerFlags {
-        VARLINK_SERVER_ROOT_ONLY   = 1 << 0, /* Only accessible by root */
-        VARLINK_SERVER_MYSELF_ONLY = 1 << 1, /* Only accessible by our own UID */
-        VARLINK_SERVER_ACCOUNT_UID = 1 << 2, /* Do per user accounting */
+        VARLINK_SERVER_ROOT_ONLY        = 1 << 0, /* Only accessible by root */
+        VARLINK_SERVER_MYSELF_ONLY      = 1 << 1, /* Only accessible by our own UID */
+        VARLINK_SERVER_ACCOUNT_UID      = 1 << 2, /* Do per user accounting */
+        VARLINK_SERVER_INHERIT_USERDATA = 1 << 3, /* Initialize Varlink connection userdata from VarlinkServer userdata */
 
-        _VARLINK_SERVER_FLAGS_ALL = (1 << 3) - 1,
+        _VARLINK_SERVER_FLAGS_ALL = (1 << 4) - 1,
 } VarlinkServerFlags;
 
 typedef int (*VarlinkMethod)(Varlink *link, JsonVariant *parameters, VarlinkMethodFlags flags, void *userdata);