diff --git a/man/systemd-socket-activate.xml b/man/systemd-socket-activate.xml
index 4c29fa2c66..09f0d5cad6 100644
--- a/man/systemd-socket-activate.xml
+++ b/man/systemd-socket-activate.xml
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
         <term><option>--accept</option></term>
 
         <listitem><para>Launch an instance of the service program for each connection and pass the connection
-        socket.</para>
+        socket. May not be combined with <option>--now</option>.</para>
 
         <xi:include href="version-info.xml" xpointer="v230"/></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
@@ -135,6 +135,16 @@
         <xi:include href="version-info.xml" xpointer="v230"/></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
+      <varlistentry>
+        <term><option>--now</option></term>
+
+        <listitem><para>Start the service program instantly, instead of waiting for a connection on the
+        socket(s). May not be combined with <option>--accept</option>.
+        </para>
+
+        <xi:include href="version-info.xml" xpointer="v258"/></listitem>
+      </varlistentry>
+
       <xi:include href="standard-options.xml" xpointer="help" />
       <xi:include href="standard-options.xml" xpointer="version" />
     </variablelist>
diff --git a/mkosi/mkosi.sanitizers/mkosi.postinst b/mkosi/mkosi.sanitizers/mkosi.postinst
index 582a7cb99d..ee26021c32 100755
--- a/mkosi/mkosi.sanitizers/mkosi.postinst
+++ b/mkosi/mkosi.sanitizers/mkosi.postinst
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ wrap=(
     ps
     setfacl
     setpriv
+    socat
     sshd
     stat
     su
diff --git a/src/socket-activate/socket-activate.c b/src/socket-activate/socket-activate.c
index ada289ded3..a80080b9cd 100644
--- a/src/socket-activate/socket-activate.c
+++ b/src/socket-activate/socket-activate.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ static int arg_socket_type = SOCK_STREAM;
 static char **arg_setenv = NULL;
 static char **arg_fdnames = NULL;
 static bool arg_inetd = false;
+static bool arg_now = false;
 
 static int add_epoll(int epoll_fd, int fd) {
         struct epoll_event ev = {
@@ -102,9 +103,26 @@ static int open_sockets(int *ret_epoll_fd) {
                 log_set_open_when_needed(false);
         }
 
-        epoll_fd = epoll_create1(EPOLL_CLOEXEC);
-        if (epoll_fd < 0)
-                return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to create epoll object: %m");
+        if (count > 1 && !arg_accept && arg_inetd)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
+                                       "--inetd only supported with a single file descriptor, or with --accept.");
+
+        if (arg_fdnames && !arg_inetd) {
+                size_t n_fdnames = strv_length(arg_fdnames);
+
+                if (!arg_accept && n_fdnames != (size_t) count)
+                        log_warning("The number of fd names is different from the number of fds: %zu vs %i",
+                                    n_fdnames, count);
+
+                if (arg_accept && n_fdnames > 1)
+                        log_warning("More than one fd name specified with --accept.");
+        }
+
+        if (!arg_now) {
+                epoll_fd = epoll_create1(EPOLL_CLOEXEC);
+                if (epoll_fd < 0)
+                        return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to create epoll object: %m");
+        }
 
         for (int fd = SD_LISTEN_FDS_START; fd < SD_LISTEN_FDS_START + count; fd++) {
                 _cleanup_free_ char *name = NULL;
@@ -112,9 +130,11 @@ static int open_sockets(int *ret_epoll_fd) {
                 getsockname_pretty(fd, &name);
                 log_info("Listening on %s as %i.", strna(name), fd);
 
-                r = add_epoll(epoll_fd, fd);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
+                if (epoll_fd >= 0) {
+                        r = add_epoll(epoll_fd, fd);
+                        if (r < 0)
+                                return r;
+                }
         }
 
         *ret_epoll_fd = TAKE_FD(epoll_fd);
@@ -129,10 +149,6 @@ static int exec_process(char * const *argv, int start_fd, size_t n_fds) {
         assert(start_fd >= 0);
         assert(n_fds > 0);
 
-        if (arg_inetd && n_fds != 1)
-                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
-                                       "--inetd only supported for single file descriptors.");
-
         FOREACH_STRING(var, "TERM", "COLORTERM", "NO_COLOR", "PATH", "USER", "HOME") {
                 const char *n;
 
@@ -181,8 +197,6 @@ static int exec_process(char * const *argv, int start_fd, size_t n_fds) {
                                         if (r < 0)
                                                 return log_oom();
                                 }
-                        else if (len != n_fds)
-                                log_warning("The number of fd names is different than number of fds: %zu vs %zu", len, n_fds);
 
                         names = strv_join(arg_fdnames, ":");
                         if (!names)
@@ -314,6 +328,7 @@ static int help(void) {
                "  -E --setenv=NAME[=VALUE]   Pass an environment variable to children\n"
                "     --fdname=NAME[:NAME...] Specify names for file descriptors\n"
                "     --inetd                 Enable inetd file descriptor passing protocol\n"
+               "     --now                   Start instantly instead of waiting for connection\n"
                "\nNote: file descriptors from sd_listen_fds() will be passed through.\n"
                "\nSee the %s for details.\n",
                program_invocation_short_name,
@@ -330,6 +345,7 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 ARG_FDNAME,
                 ARG_SEQPACKET,
                 ARG_INETD,
+                ARG_NOW,
         };
 
         static const struct option options[] = {
@@ -343,6 +359,7 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 { "environment", required_argument, NULL, 'E'           }, /* legacy alias */
                 { "fdname",      required_argument, NULL, ARG_FDNAME    },
                 { "inetd",       no_argument,       NULL, ARG_INETD     },
+                { "now",         no_argument,       NULL, ARG_NOW       },
                 {}
         };
 
@@ -423,6 +440,10 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                         arg_inetd = true;
                         break;
 
+                case ARG_NOW:
+                        arg_now = true;
+                        break;
+
                 case '?':
                         return -EINVAL;
 
@@ -440,6 +461,13 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                        "Datagram sockets do not accept connections. "
                                        "The --datagram and --accept options may not be combined.");
 
+        if (arg_accept && arg_now)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
+                                       "--now cannot be used in conjunction with --accept.");
+
+        if (arg_fdnames && arg_inetd)
+                log_warning("--fdname= has no effect with --inetd present.");
+
         return 1 /* work to do */;
 }
 
@@ -481,15 +509,17 @@ static int run(int argc, char **argv) {
         for (;;) {
                 struct epoll_event event;
 
-                if (epoll_wait(epoll_fd, &event, 1, -1) < 0) {
-                        if (errno == EINTR)
-                                continue;
+                if (epoll_fd >= 0) {
+                        if (epoll_wait(epoll_fd, &event, 1, -1) < 0) {
+                                if (errno == EINTR)
+                                        continue;
 
-                        return log_error_errno(errno, "epoll_wait() failed: %m");
+                                return log_error_errno(errno, "epoll_wait() failed: %m");
+                        }
+
+                        log_info("Communication attempt on fd %i.", event.data.fd);
                 }
 
-                log_info("Communication attempt on fd %i.", event.data.fd);
-
                 if (!arg_accept)
                         return exec_process(exec_argv, SD_LISTEN_FDS_START, (size_t) n);
 
diff --git a/test/units/TEST-74-AUX-UTILS.socket-activate.sh b/test/units/TEST-74-AUX-UTILS.socket-activate.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..b714ae46c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/units/TEST-74-AUX-UTILS.socket-activate.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
+set -eux
+set -o pipefail
+
+# shellcheck source=test/units/util.sh
+. "$(dirname "$0")"/util.sh
+
+CAT_PID="$(systemd-notify --fork -- systemd-socket-activate -l 1234 --accept --inetd cat)"
+assert_eq "$(echo -n hello | socat - 'TCP:localhost:1234')" hello
+kill "$CAT_PID"
+
+# Check whether socat's ACCEPT-FD is available (introduced in v1.8)
+systemd-socket-activate -l 1234 --now socat ACCEPT-FD:3 PIPE &
+sleep 1
+jobs >/dev/null
+if kill %% &>/dev/null; then
+    systemd-socket-activate -l 1234 --now socat ACCEPT-FD:3 PIPE &
+    SOCAT_PID="$!"
+
+    # unfortunately we need to sleep since socket-activate only sends sd_notify when --accept is passed,
+    # so we can't rely on that to avoid a race.
+    sleep 1
+
+    assert_in socat "$(</proc/"$SOCAT_PID"/comm)"
+    assert_eq "$(echo -n bye | socat - 'TCP:localhost:1234')" bye
+fi
+
+# --accept is not allowed with --now
+(! systemd-socket-activate -l 1234 --accept --now cat)
+
+# Multiple fds are not allowed with --inetd
+(! systemd-socket-activate -l 1234 -l 4321 --inetd cat)