diff --git a/src/core/core-varlink.c b/src/core/core-varlink.c
index 3c791cf9b3..c5735d0eaa 100644
--- a/src/core/core-varlink.c
+++ b/src/core/core-varlink.c
@@ -161,6 +161,9 @@ static int manager_varlink_send_managed_oom_initial(Manager *m) {
         if (!MANAGER_IS_USER(m))
                 return 0;
 
+        if (MANAGER_IS_TEST_RUN(m))
+                return 0;
+
         assert(m->managed_oom_varlink);
 
         r = build_managed_oom_cgroups_json(m, &v);
@@ -207,6 +210,9 @@ static int manager_varlink_managed_oom_connect(Manager *m) {
         if (!MANAGER_IS_USER(m))
                 return -EINVAL;
 
+        if (MANAGER_IS_TEST_RUN(m))
+                return 0;
+
         r = sd_varlink_connect_address(&link, VARLINK_ADDR_PATH_MANAGED_OOM_USER);
         if (r == -ENOENT)
                 return 0;
@@ -246,6 +252,9 @@ int manager_varlink_send_managed_oom_update(Unit *u) {
         if (!UNIT_VTABLE(u)->can_set_managed_oom || !u->manager)
                 return 0;
 
+        if (MANAGER_IS_TEST_RUN(u->manager))
+                return 0;
+
         crt = unit_get_cgroup_runtime(u);
         if (!crt || !crt->cgroup_path)
                 return 0;