diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-control.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-control.c
index f817cf0a85..b7ca79bb58 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-control.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-control.c
@@ -803,9 +803,12 @@ _public_ int sd_bus_get_owner_creds(sd_bus *bus, uint64_t mask, sd_bus_creds **r
 
 int bus_add_match_internal(
                 sd_bus *bus,
-                const char *match) {
+                const char *match,
+                uint64_t *ret_counter) {
 
+        _cleanup_(sd_bus_message_unrefp) sd_bus_message *reply = NULL;
         const char *e;
+        int r;
 
         assert(bus);
 
@@ -814,16 +817,24 @@ int bus_add_match_internal(
 
         e = append_eavesdrop(bus, match);
 
-        return sd_bus_call_method(
+        r = sd_bus_call_method(
                         bus,
                         "org.freedesktop.DBus",
                         "/org/freedesktop/DBus",
                         "org.freedesktop.DBus",
                         "AddMatch",
                         NULL,
-                        NULL,
+                        &reply,
                         "s",
                         e);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        /* If the caller asked for it, return the read counter of the reply */
+        if (ret_counter)
+                *ret_counter = reply->read_counter;
+
+        return r;
 }
 
 int bus_add_match_internal_async(
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-control.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-control.h
index 3fb52b67c6..eb1ae75c14 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-control.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-control.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "sd-bus.h"
 
-int bus_add_match_internal(sd_bus *bus, const char *match);
+int bus_add_match_internal(sd_bus *bus, const char *match, uint64_t *ret_counter);
 int bus_add_match_internal_async(sd_bus *bus, sd_bus_slot **ret, const char *match, sd_bus_message_handler_t callback, void *userdata);
 
 int bus_remove_match_internal(sd_bus *bus, const char *match);
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-internal.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-internal.h
index f6289daac6..6d2c1e8405 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-internal.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-internal.h
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ struct match_callback {
 
         unsigned last_iteration;
 
+        /* Don't dispatch this slot with with messages that arrived in any iteration before or at the this
+         * one. We use this to ensure that matches don't apply "retroactively" and thus can confuse the
+         * caller: matches will only match incoming messages from the moment on the match was installed. */
+        uint64_t after;
+
         char *match_string;
 
         struct bus_match_node *match_node;
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-match.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-match.c
index 14204eeb6b..57ce8cca04 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-match.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-match.c
@@ -287,8 +287,16 @@ int bus_match_run(
         case BUS_MATCH_LEAF:
 
                 if (bus) {
-                        if (node->leaf.callback->last_iteration == bus->iteration_counter)
-                                return 0;
+                        /* Don't run this match as long as the AddMatch() call is not complete yet.
+                         *
+                         * Don't run this match unless the 'after' counter has been reached.
+                         *
+                         * Don't run this match more than once per iteration */
+
+                        if (node->leaf.callback->install_slot ||
+                            m->read_counter <= node->leaf.callback->after ||
+                            node->leaf.callback->last_iteration == bus->iteration_counter)
+                                return bus_match_run(bus, node->next, m);
 
                         node->leaf.callback->last_iteration = bus->iteration_counter;
                 }
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
index 5b624d51ed..303dcea106 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
@@ -3327,7 +3327,7 @@ static int bus_add_match_full(
                                  * then make it floating. */
                                 r = sd_bus_slot_set_floating(s->match_callback.install_slot, true);
                         } else
-                                r = bus_add_match_internal(bus, s->match_callback.match_string);
+                                r = bus_add_match_internal(bus, s->match_callback.match_string, &s->match_callback.after);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 goto finish;