diff --git a/src/basic/log.c b/src/basic/log.c
index 8a65aa349e4..ae0ac72b579 100644
--- a/src/basic/log.c
+++ b/src/basic/log.c
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ static bool show_location = false;
 static bool upgrade_syslog_to_journal = false;
 static bool always_reopen_console = false;
 static bool open_when_needed = false;
+static bool prohibit_ipc = false;
 
 /* Akin to glibc's __abort_msg; which is private and we hence cannot
  * use here. */
@@ -254,7 +255,8 @@ int log_open(void) {
             getpid_cached() == 1 ||
             isatty(STDERR_FILENO) <= 0) {
 
-                if (IN_SET(log_target, LOG_TARGET_AUTO,
+                if (!prohibit_ipc &&
+                    IN_SET(log_target, LOG_TARGET_AUTO,
                                        LOG_TARGET_JOURNAL_OR_KMSG,
                                        LOG_TARGET_JOURNAL)) {
                         r = log_open_journal();
@@ -265,7 +267,8 @@ int log_open(void) {
                         }
                 }
 
-                if (IN_SET(log_target, LOG_TARGET_SYSLOG_OR_KMSG,
+                if (!prohibit_ipc &&
+                    IN_SET(log_target, LOG_TARGET_SYSLOG_OR_KMSG,
                                        LOG_TARGET_SYSLOG)) {
                         r = log_open_syslog();
                         if (r >= 0) {
@@ -1332,6 +1335,10 @@ void log_set_open_when_needed(bool b) {
         open_when_needed = b;
 }
 
+void log_set_prohibit_ipc(bool b) {
+        prohibit_ipc = b;
+}
+
 int log_emergency_level(void) {
         /* Returns the log level to use for log_emergency() logging. We use LOG_EMERG only when we are PID 1, as only
          * then the system of the whole system is obviously affected. */
diff --git a/src/basic/log.h b/src/basic/log.h
index 910a89a2559..0a8fa228662 100644
--- a/src/basic/log.h
+++ b/src/basic/log.h
@@ -307,6 +307,10 @@ void log_set_upgrade_syslog_to_journal(bool b);
 void log_set_always_reopen_console(bool b);
 void log_set_open_when_needed(bool b);
 
+/* If turned on, then we'll never use IPC-based logging, i.e. never log to syslog or the journal. We'll only log to
+ * stderr, the console or kmsg */
+void log_set_prohibit_ipc(bool b);
+
 int log_syntax_internal(
                 const char *unit,
                 int level,