diff --git a/man/systemd.offline-updates.xml b/man/systemd.offline-updates.xml
index 258d446784..c11004c882 100644
--- a/man/systemd.offline-updates.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.offline-updates.xml
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@
       <listitem>
         <para>The update service should declare <varname>DefaultDependencies=false</varname>,
         <varname>Requires=sysinit.target</varname>, <varname>After=sysinit.target</varname>,
+        <varname>After=system-update-pre.target</varname>
         and explicitly pull in any other services it requires.</para>
       </listitem>
     </orderedlist>
diff --git a/units/meson.build b/units/meson.build
index 77d52c1083..e4ac6ced64 100644
--- a/units/meson.build
+++ b/units/meson.build
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ units = [
         ['sysinit.target',                      ''],
         ['syslog.socket',                       ''],
         ['system-update.target',                ''],
+        ['system-update-pre.target',            ''],
         ['system-update-cleanup.service',       ''],
         ['systemd-ask-password-console.path',   '',
          'sysinit.target.wants/'],
diff --git a/units/system-update-pre.target b/units/system-update-pre.target
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dbd9ad92ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/units/system-update-pre.target
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#  SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1+
+#
+#  This file is part of systemd.
+#
+#  systemd is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+#  under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+#  the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or
+#  (at your option) any later version.
+
+[Unit]
+Description=Offline System Update (Pre)
+Documentation=man:systemd.offline-updates(7)
+Documentation=man:systemd.special(7) man:systemd-system-update-generator(8)
+RefuseManualStart=yes
+After=sysinit.target
+Before=system-update.target
diff --git a/units/system-update.target b/units/system-update.target
index c46bfe754a..b52a494892 100644
--- a/units/system-update.target
+++ b/units/system-update.target
@@ -14,4 +14,5 @@ Documentation=man:systemd.special(7) man:systemd-system-update-generator(8)
 Requires=sysinit.target
 After=sysinit.target
 AllowIsolate=yes
+Wants=system-update-pre.target
 Wants=system-update-cleanup.service