diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-internal.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-internal.h
index 39610c5d45..f6289daac6 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-internal.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-internal.h
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ struct sd_bus {
         size_t wqueue_allocated;
 
         uint64_t cookie;
+        uint64_t read_counter; /* A counter for each incoming msg */
 
         char *unique_name;
         uint64_t unique_id;
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.h
index a7c4f81c4b..ced0bb3d34 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-message.h
@@ -128,6 +128,8 @@ struct sd_bus_message {
 
         size_t header_offsets[_BUS_MESSAGE_HEADER_MAX];
         unsigned n_header_offsets;
+
+        uint64_t read_counter;
 };
 
 static inline bool BUS_MESSAGE_NEED_BSWAP(sd_bus_message *m) {
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-socket.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-socket.c
index 9221b33d48..3541c411a8 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-socket.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-socket.c
@@ -1146,6 +1146,7 @@ static int bus_socket_make_message(sd_bus *bus, size_t size) {
         bus->n_fds = 0;
 
         if (t) {
+                t->read_counter = ++bus->read_counter;
                 bus->rqueue[bus->rqueue_size++] = bus_message_ref_queued(t, bus);
                 sd_bus_message_unref(t);
         }
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
index 978a505610..ac611d2975 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
@@ -484,6 +484,7 @@ static int synthesize_connected_signal(sd_bus *bus) {
                 return r;
 
         bus_message_set_sender_local(bus, m);
+        m->read_counter = ++bus->read_counter;
 
         r = bus_seal_synthetic_message(bus, m);
         if (r < 0)
@@ -2422,6 +2423,8 @@ static int process_timeout(sd_bus *bus) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
+        m->read_counter = ++bus->read_counter;
+
         r = bus_seal_synthetic_message(bus, m);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
@@ -2524,6 +2527,7 @@ static int process_reply(sd_bus *bus, sd_bus_message *m) {
                 synthetic_reply->realtime = m->realtime;
                 synthetic_reply->monotonic = m->monotonic;
                 synthetic_reply->seqnum = m->seqnum;
+                synthetic_reply->read_counter = m->read_counter;
 
                 r = bus_seal_synthetic_message(bus, synthetic_reply);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -2866,6 +2870,8 @@ static int process_closing_reply_callback(sd_bus *bus, struct reply_callback *c)
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
+        m->read_counter = ++bus->read_counter;
+
         r = bus_seal_synthetic_message(bus, m);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
@@ -2930,6 +2936,7 @@ static int process_closing(sd_bus *bus, sd_bus_message **ret) {
                 return r;
 
         bus_message_set_sender_local(bus, m);
+        m->read_counter = ++bus->read_counter;
 
         r = bus_seal_synthetic_message(bus, m);
         if (r < 0)