diff --git a/src/journal/journalctl.c b/src/journal/journalctl.c
index 58c7993d0b..d3ec22e224 100644
--- a/src/journal/journalctl.c
+++ b/src/journal/journalctl.c
@@ -1915,47 +1915,93 @@ static int verify(sd_journal *j, bool verbose) {
         return r;
 }
 
-static int simple_varlink_call(const char *option, const char *method) {
-        _cleanup_(varlink_flush_close_unrefp) Varlink *link = NULL;
-        const char *fn;
+static int varlink_connect_journal(Varlink **ret_link) {
+        const char *address;
         int r;
 
-        if (arg_machine)
-                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EOPNOTSUPP), "%s is not supported in conjunction with --machine=.", option);
+        address = arg_namespace ?
+                  strjoina("/run/systemd/journal.", arg_namespace, "/io.systemd.journal") :
+                  "/run/systemd/journal/io.systemd.journal";
 
-        fn = arg_namespace ?
-                strjoina("/run/systemd/journal.", arg_namespace, "/io.systemd.journal") :
-                "/run/systemd/journal/io.systemd.journal";
-
-        r = varlink_connect_address(&link, fn);
+        r = varlink_connect_address(ret_link, address);
         if (r < 0)
-                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to connect to %s: %m", fn);
+                return r;
 
-        (void) varlink_set_description(link, "journal");
-        (void) varlink_set_relative_timeout(link, USEC_INFINITY);
+        (void) varlink_set_description(*ret_link, "journal");
+        (void) varlink_set_relative_timeout(*ret_link, USEC_INFINITY);
 
-        return varlink_call_and_log(link, method, /* parameters= */ NULL, /* ret_parameters= */ NULL);
+        return 0;
 }
 
 static int flush_to_var(void) {
+        _cleanup_(varlink_flush_close_unrefp) Varlink *link = NULL;
+        int r;
+
+        if (arg_machine || arg_namespace)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EOPNOTSUPP),
+                                       "--flush is not supported in conjunction with %s.",
+                                       arg_machine ? "--machine=" : "--namespace=");
+
         if (access("/run/systemd/journal/flushed", F_OK) >= 0)
                 return 0; /* Already flushed, no need to contact journald */
         if (errno != ENOENT)
                 return log_error_errno(errno, "Unable to check for existence of /run/systemd/journal/flushed: %m");
 
-        return simple_varlink_call("--flush", "io.systemd.Journal.FlushToVar");
+        r = varlink_connect_journal(&link);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to connect to Varlink socket: %m");
+
+        return varlink_call_and_log(link, "io.systemd.Journal.FlushToVar", /* parameters= */ NULL, /* ret_parameters= */ NULL);
 }
 
 static int relinquish_var(void) {
-        return simple_varlink_call("--relinquish-var/--smart-relinquish-var", "io.systemd.Journal.RelinquishVar");
+        _cleanup_(varlink_flush_close_unrefp) Varlink *link = NULL;
+        int r;
+
+        if (arg_machine || arg_namespace)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EOPNOTSUPP),
+                                       "--(smart-)relinquish-var is not supported in conjunction with %s.",
+                                       arg_machine ? "--machine=" : "--namespace=");
+
+        r = varlink_connect_journal(&link);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to connect to Varlink socket: %m");
+
+        return varlink_call_and_log(link, "io.systemd.Journal.RelinquishVar", /* parameters= */ NULL, /* ret_parameters= */ NULL);
 }
 
 static int rotate(void) {
-        return simple_varlink_call("--rotate", "io.systemd.Journal.Rotate");
+        _cleanup_(varlink_flush_close_unrefp) Varlink *link = NULL;
+        int r;
+
+        if (arg_machine)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EOPNOTSUPP),
+                                       "--rotate is not supported in conjunction with --machine=.");
+
+        r = varlink_connect_journal(&link);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to connect to Varlink socket: %m");
+
+        return varlink_call_and_log(link, "io.systemd.Journal.Rotate", /* parameters= */ NULL, /* ret_parameters= */ NULL);
 }
 
 static int sync_journal(void) {
-        return simple_varlink_call("--sync", "io.systemd.Journal.Synchronize");
+        _cleanup_(varlink_flush_close_unrefp) Varlink *link = NULL;
+        int r;
+
+        if (arg_machine)
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EOPNOTSUPP),
+                                       "--sync is not supported in conjunction with --machine=.");
+
+        r = varlink_connect_journal(&link);
+        if (ERRNO_IS_NEG_DISCONNECT(r) && arg_namespace)
+                /* If the namespaced sd-journald instance was shut down due to inactivity, it should already
+                 * be synchronized */
+                return 0;
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to connect to Varlink socket: %m");
+
+        return varlink_call_and_log(link, "io.systemd.Journal.Synchronize", /* parameters= */ NULL, /* ret_parameters= */ NULL);
 }
 
 static int action_list_fields(sd_journal *j) {