diff --git a/man/sysusers.d.xml b/man/sysusers.d.xml
index 47f018f402..1c87b1bdd1 100644
--- a/man/sysusers.d.xml
+++ b/man/sysusers.d.xml
@@ -194,7 +194,8 @@ u     root     0              "Superuser"           /root          /bin/zsh</pro
       match the owners of pre-existing files (such as SUID or SGID
       binaries).
       The syntax <literal><replaceable>uid</replaceable>:<replaceable>gid</replaceable></literal> is also supported to
-      allow creating user and group pairs with different numeric UID and GID values. The group with the indicated GID must get created explicitly before or it must already exist.
+      allow creating user and group pairs with different numeric UID and GID values. The group with the indicated GID must get created explicitly before or it must already exist. Specifying <literal>-</literal> for the UID in this syntax
+      is also supported.
       </para>
 
       <para>For <varname>m</varname> lines, this field should contain
diff --git a/src/sysusers/sysusers.c b/src/sysusers/sysusers.c
index 629bd883f1..cd273ef2c9 100644
--- a/src/sysusers/sysusers.c
+++ b/src/sysusers/sysusers.c
@@ -1599,11 +1599,12 @@ static int parse_line(const char *fname, unsigned line, const char *buffer) {
                                         i->id_set_strict = true;
                                         free_and_replace(resolved_id, uid);
                                 }
-                                r = parse_uid(resolved_id, &i->uid);
-                                if (r < 0)
-                                        return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse UID: '%s': %m", id);
-
-                                i->uid_set = true;
+                                if (!streq(resolved_id, "-")) {
+                                        r = parse_uid(resolved_id, &i->uid);
+                                        if (r < 0)
+                                                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse UID: '%s': %m", id);
+                                        i->uid_set = true;
+                                }
                         }
                 }
 
diff --git a/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-8.expected-group b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-8.expected-group
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f09b2b6426
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-8.expected-group
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+groupname:x:300:
diff --git a/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-8.expected-passwd b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-8.expected-passwd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..727b8197ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-8.expected-passwd
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+username:x:SYSTEM_UID_MAX:300::/:/sbin/nologin
diff --git a/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-8.input b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-8.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b76dd3e20c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-8.input
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+g groupname 300
+u username -:300
diff --git a/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-9.expected-group b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-9.expected-group
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..33335d4eaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-9.expected-group
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+user1:x:300:
diff --git a/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-9.expected-passwd b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-9.expected-passwd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a23260f56e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-9.expected-passwd
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+user1:x:300:300::/:/sbin/nologin
+user2:x:SYSTEM_UID_MAX:300::/:/sbin/nologin
diff --git a/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-9.input b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-9.input
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4d536472c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/TEST-21-SYSUSERS/test-9.input
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+u user1 300
+u user2 -:300