diff --git a/src/home/homed.c b/src/home/homed.c
index bb319925d0..9aaabd5c19 100644
--- a/src/home/homed.c
+++ b/src/home/homed.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "A service to create, remove, change or inspect home areas.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/hostname/hostnamed.c b/src/hostname/hostnamed.c
index 06fb3f2878..9ba3d312bd 100644
--- a/src/hostname/hostnamed.c
+++ b/src/hostname/hostnamed.c
@@ -1988,6 +1988,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "Manage the system hostname and related metadata.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/import/importd.c b/src/import/importd.c
index f2715691ab..8603069047 100644
--- a/src/import/importd.c
+++ b/src/import/importd.c
@@ -2019,6 +2019,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "VM and container image import and export service.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/locale/localed.c b/src/locale/localed.c
index 11d9130bbc..041ba29cd8 100644
--- a/src/locale/localed.c
+++ b/src/locale/localed.c
@@ -635,6 +635,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "Manage system locale settings and key mappings.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/login/logind.c b/src/login/logind.c
index 9427bae815..e1219fe73a 100644
--- a/src/login/logind.c
+++ b/src/login/logind.c
@@ -1340,6 +1340,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "Manager for user logins and devices and privileged operations.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/machine/machined.c b/src/machine/machined.c
index 46395d7df4..ea83f97ad9 100644
--- a/src/machine/machined.c
+++ b/src/machine/machined.c
@@ -324,6 +324,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "Manage registrations of local VMs and containers.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/network/networkd.c b/src/network/networkd.c
index 2ce32fe4f3..7e09629ddb 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         r = service_parse_argv("systemd-networkd.service",
                                "Manage and configure network devices, create virtual network devices",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object, &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/portable/portabled.c b/src/portable/portabled.c
index 65ceaf40b6..4059de01ed 100644
--- a/src/portable/portabled.c
+++ b/src/portable/portabled.c
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "Manage registrations of portable images.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/resolve/resolved.c b/src/resolve/resolved.c
index ea3e6a689c..aa165927a4 100644
--- a/src/resolve/resolved.c
+++ b/src/resolve/resolved.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "Provide name resolution with caching using DNS, mDNS, LLMNR.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/shared/service-util.c b/src/shared/service-util.c
index 2645fe2c40..70d59af6c5 100644
--- a/src/shared/service-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/service-util.c
@@ -8,9 +8,19 @@
 #include "bus-object.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "pretty-print.h"
+#include "runtime-scope.h"
 #include "service-util.h"
 
-static int help(const char *program_path, const char *service, const char *description, bool bus_introspect) {
+typedef enum HelpFlags {
+        HELP_WITH_BUS_INTROSPECT = 1 << 0,
+        HELP_WITH_RUNTIME_SCOPE  = 1 << 1,
+} HelpFlags;
+
+static int help(const char *program_path,
+                const char *service,
+                const char *description,
+                HelpFlags flags) {
+
         _cleanup_free_ char *link = NULL;
         int r;
 
@@ -25,6 +35,7 @@ static int help(const char *program_path, const char *service, const char *descr
                "  -h --help                 Show this help\n"
                "     --version              Show package version\n"
                "%8$s"
+               "%9$s"
                "\nSee the %2$s for details.\n",
                program_path,
                link,
@@ -33,7 +44,9 @@ static int help(const char *program_path, const char *service, const char *descr
                ansi_highlight(),
                ansi_normal(),
                description,
-               bus_introspect ? "     --bus-introspect=PATH  Write D-Bus XML introspection data\n" : "");
+               FLAGS_SET(flags, HELP_WITH_BUS_INTROSPECT) ? "     --bus-introspect=PATH  Write D-Bus XML introspection data\n" : "",
+               FLAGS_SET(flags, HELP_WITH_RUNTIME_SCOPE)  ? "     --system               Start service in system mode\n"
+                                                            "     --user                 Start service in user mode\n" : "");
 
         return 0; /* No further action */
 }
@@ -42,17 +55,22 @@ int service_parse_argv(
                 const char *service,
                 const char *description,
                 const BusObjectImplementation* const* bus_objects,
+                RuntimeScope *runtime_scope,
                 int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
         enum {
                 ARG_VERSION = 0x100,
                 ARG_BUS_INTROSPECT,
+                ARG_SYSTEM,
+                ARG_USER,
         };
 
         static const struct option options[] = {
                 { "help",           no_argument,       NULL, 'h'                },
                 { "version",        no_argument,       NULL, ARG_VERSION        },
                 { "bus-introspect", required_argument, NULL, ARG_BUS_INTROSPECT },
+                { "system",         no_argument,       NULL, ARG_SYSTEM         },
+                { "user",           no_argument,       NULL, ARG_USER           },
                 {}
         };
 
@@ -65,7 +83,11 @@ int service_parse_argv(
                 switch (c) {
 
                 case 'h':
-                        return help(argv[0], service, description, bus_objects);
+                        return help(argv[0],
+                                    service,
+                                    description,
+                                    (bus_objects ? HELP_WITH_BUS_INTROSPECT : 0) |
+                                    (runtime_scope ? HELP_WITH_RUNTIME_SCOPE : 0));
 
                 case ARG_VERSION:
                         return version();
@@ -76,6 +98,14 @@ int service_parse_argv(
                                         optarg,
                                         bus_objects);
 
+                case ARG_SYSTEM:
+                case ARG_USER:
+                        if (!runtime_scope)
+                                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL), "This service cannot be run in --system or --user mode, refusing.");
+
+                        *runtime_scope = c == ARG_SYSTEM ? RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM : RUNTIME_SCOPE_USER;
+                        break;
+
                 case '?':
                         return -EINVAL;
 
diff --git a/src/shared/service-util.h b/src/shared/service-util.h
index af36354e80..462ba2b3fa 100644
--- a/src/shared/service-util.h
+++ b/src/shared/service-util.h
@@ -7,4 +7,5 @@ int service_parse_argv(
                 const char *service,
                 const char *description,
                 const BusObjectImplementation* const* bus_objects,
+                RuntimeScope *runtime_scope,
                 int argc, char *argv[]);
diff --git a/src/sysupdate/sysupdated.c b/src/sysupdate/sysupdated.c
index b1438ff825..1ade24b374 100644
--- a/src/sysupdate/sysupdated.c
+++ b/src/sysupdate/sysupdated.c
@@ -2079,6 +2079,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "System update management service.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/timedate/timedated.c b/src/timedate/timedated.c
index 662cc29ac5..6e21d1a73a 100644
--- a/src/timedate/timedated.c
+++ b/src/timedate/timedated.c
@@ -1164,6 +1164,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                "Manage the system clock and timezone and NTP enablement.",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object,
                                                    &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/timesync/timesyncd.c b/src/timesync/timesyncd.c
index 40305c046b..96d0dd5c2b 100644
--- a/src/timesync/timesyncd.c
+++ b/src/timesync/timesyncd.c
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         r = service_parse_argv("systemd-timesyncd.service",
                                "Network time synchronization",
                                BUS_IMPLEMENTATIONS(&manager_object, &log_control_object),
+                               /* runtime_scope= */ NULL,
                                argc, argv);
         if (r <= 0)
                 return r;