diff --git a/src/analyze/analyze.c b/src/analyze/analyze.c
index 43b0cc1ab8..30139dd5f5 100644
--- a/src/analyze/analyze.c
+++ b/src/analyze/analyze.c
@@ -120,10 +120,12 @@ struct host_info {
 
 static int acquire_bus(sd_bus **bus, bool *use_full_bus) {
         bool user = arg_scope != UNIT_FILE_SYSTEM;
+        int r;
 
         if (use_full_bus && *use_full_bus) {
-                if (bus_connect_transport(arg_transport, arg_host, user, bus) == 0)
-                        return 0;
+                r = bus_connect_transport(arg_transport, arg_host, user, bus);
+                if (IN_SET(r, 0, -EHOSTDOWN))
+                        return r;
 
                 *use_full_bus = false;
         }
diff --git a/src/shared/bus-util.c b/src/shared/bus-util.c
index a14e87d1ba..af18a674c1 100644
--- a/src/shared/bus-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/bus-util.c
@@ -1300,9 +1300,15 @@ int bus_connect_transport(BusTransport transport, const char *host, bool user, s
         case BUS_TRANSPORT_LOCAL:
                 if (user)
                         r = sd_bus_default_user(&bus);
-                else
-                        r = sd_bus_default_system(&bus);
+                else {
+                        if (sd_booted() <= 0) {
+                                /* Print a friendly message when the local system is actually not running systemd as PID 1. */
+                                log_error("System has not been booted with systemd as init system (PID 1). Can't operate.");
 
+                                return -EHOSTDOWN;
+                        }
+                        r = sd_bus_default_system(&bus);
+                }
                 break;
 
         case BUS_TRANSPORT_REMOTE:
@@ -1343,9 +1349,15 @@ int bus_connect_transport_systemd(BusTransport transport, const char *host, bool
         case BUS_TRANSPORT_LOCAL:
                 if (user)
                         r = bus_connect_user_systemd(bus);
-                else
-                        r = bus_connect_system_systemd(bus);
+                else {
+                        if (sd_booted() <= 0) {
+                                /* Print a friendly message when the local system is actually not running systemd as PID 1. */
+                                log_error("System has not been booted with systemd as init system (PID 1). Can't operate.");
 
+                                return -EHOSTDOWN;
+                        }
+                        r = bus_connect_system_systemd(bus);
+                }
                 break;
 
         case BUS_TRANSPORT_REMOTE:
diff --git a/src/systemctl/systemctl.c b/src/systemctl/systemctl.c
index a9461aa391..a6646aa7f6 100644
--- a/src/systemctl/systemctl.c
+++ b/src/systemctl/systemctl.c
@@ -211,12 +211,6 @@ static int acquire_bus(BusFocus focus, sd_bus **ret) {
 
                 user = arg_scope != UNIT_FILE_SYSTEM;
 
-                if (!user && sd_booted() <= 0) {
-                        /* Print a friendly message when the local system is actually not running systemd as PID 1. */
-                        log_error("System has not been booted with systemd as init system (PID 1). Can't operate.");
-                        return -EHOSTDOWN;
-                }
-
                 if (focus == BUS_MANAGER)
                         r = bus_connect_transport_systemd(arg_transport, arg_host, user, &busses[focus]);
                 else