diff --git a/src/basic/user-util.c b/src/basic/user-util.c
index 9dcf16d7a43..d39be553369 100644
--- a/src/basic/user-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/user-util.c
@@ -569,21 +569,21 @@ int getgroups_alloc(gid_t** gids) {
         return ngroups;
 }
 
-int get_home_dir(char **ret) {
+int get_home_dir_for_uid(uid_t u, char **ret) {
         _cleanup_free_ struct passwd *p = NULL;
         const char *e;
-        uid_t u;
         int r;
 
         assert(ret);
 
-        /* Take the user specified one */
-        e = secure_getenv("HOME");
-        if (e && path_is_valid(e) && path_is_absolute(e))
-                goto found;
+        /* If we are the same user we're checking, try to use the environment's $HOME */
+        if (u == getuid()) {
+                e = secure_getenv("HOME");
+                if (e && path_is_valid(e) && path_is_absolute(e))
+                        goto found;
+        }
 
         /* Hardcode home directory for root and nobody to avoid NSS */
-        u = getuid();
         if (u == 0) {
                 e = "/root";
                 goto found;
@@ -606,21 +606,25 @@ int get_home_dir(char **ret) {
         return path_simplify_alloc(e, ret);
 }
 
-int get_shell(char **ret) {
+int get_home_dir(char **ret) {
+        return get_home_dir_for_uid(getuid(), ret);
+}
+
+int get_shell_for_uid(uid_t u, char **ret) {
         _cleanup_free_ struct passwd *p = NULL;
         const char *e;
-        uid_t u;
         int r;
 
         assert(ret);
 
-        /* Take the user specified one */
-        e = secure_getenv("SHELL");
-        if (e && path_is_valid(e) && path_is_absolute(e))
-                goto found;
+        /* If we are the same user we're checking, try to use the environment's $SHELL */
+        if (u == getuid()) {
+                e = secure_getenv("SHELL");
+                if (e && path_is_valid(e) && path_is_absolute(e))
+                        goto found;
+        }
 
         /* Hardcode shell for root and nobody to avoid NSS */
-        u = getuid();
         if (u == 0) {
                 e = default_root_shell(NULL);
                 goto found;
@@ -643,6 +647,10 @@ int get_shell(char **ret) {
         return path_simplify_alloc(e, ret);
 }
 
+int get_shell(char **ret) {
+        return get_shell_for_uid(getuid(), ret);
+}
+
 int fully_set_uid_gid(uid_t uid, gid_t gid, const gid_t supplementary_gids[], size_t n_supplementary_gids) {
         int r;
 
diff --git a/src/basic/user-util.h b/src/basic/user-util.h
index 777451b8c88..4c077217cd1 100644
--- a/src/basic/user-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/user-util.h
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ int merge_gid_lists(const gid_t *list1, size_t size1, const gid_t *list2, size_t
 int getgroups_alloc(gid_t** gids);
 
 int get_home_dir(char **ret);
+int get_home_dir_for_uid(uid_t u, char **ret);
 int get_shell(char **ret);
+int get_shell_for_uid(uid_t u, char **ret);
 
 int fully_set_uid_gid(uid_t uid, gid_t gid, const gid_t supplementary_gids[], size_t n_supplementary_gids);
 static inline int reset_uid_gid(void) {
diff --git a/src/core/exec-invoke.c b/src/core/exec-invoke.c
index 4b63e2a2040..89d0579a279 100644
--- a/src/core/exec-invoke.c
+++ b/src/core/exec-invoke.c
@@ -3579,7 +3579,7 @@ static int send_user_lookup(
         return 0;
 }
 
-static int acquire_home(const ExecContext *c, const char **home, char **ret_buf) {
+static int acquire_home(const ExecContext *c, const char **home, uid_t uid, char **ret_buf) {
         int r;
 
         assert(c);
@@ -3597,7 +3597,7 @@ static int acquire_home(const ExecContext *c, const char **home, char **ret_buf)
         if (c->dynamic_user)
                 return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
 
-        r = get_home_dir(ret_buf);
+        r = get_home_dir_for_uid(uid, ret_buf);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -4346,7 +4346,7 @@ int exec_invoke(
 
         params->user_lookup_fd = safe_close(params->user_lookup_fd);
 
-        r = acquire_home(context, &home, &home_buffer);
+        r = acquire_home(context, &home, uid, &home_buffer);
         if (r < 0) {
                 *exit_status = EXIT_CHDIR;
                 return log_exec_error_errno(context, params, r, "Failed to determine $HOME for user: %m");