diff --git a/man/systemd.exec.xml b/man/systemd.exec.xml
index fbbfd4f514..5cb83afa57 100644
--- a/man/systemd.exec.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.exec.xml
@@ -2152,16 +2152,17 @@ StandardInputData=SWNrIHNpdHplIGRhIHVuJyBlc3NlIEtsb3BzLAp1ZmYgZWVtYWwga2xvcHAncy
       <varlistentry>
         <term><varname>LogExtraFields=</varname></term>
 
-        <listitem><para>Configures additional log metadata fields to include in all log records generated by processes
-        associated with this unit. This setting takes one or more journal field assignments in the format
-        <literal>FIELD=VALUE</literal> separated by whitespace. See
-        <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.journal-fields</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry> for
-        details on the journal field concept. Even though the underlying journal implementation permits binary field
-        values, this setting accepts only valid UTF-8 values. To include space characters in a journal field value,
-        enclose the assignment in double quotes ("). The usual specifiers are expanded in all assignments (see
-        below). Note that this setting is not only useful for attaching additional metadata to log records of a unit,
-        but given that all fields and values are indexed may also be used to implement cross-unit log record
-        matching. Assign an empty string to reset the list.</para></listitem>
+        <listitem><para>Configures additional log metadata fields to include in all log records generated by
+        processes associated with this unit. This setting takes one or more journal field assignments in the
+        format <literal>FIELD=VALUE</literal> separated by whitespace. See
+        <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.journal-fields</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>
+        for details on the journal field concept. Even though the underlying journal implementation permits
+        binary field values, this setting accepts only valid UTF-8 values. To include space characters in a
+        journal field value, enclose the assignment in double quotes ("). <!-- " fake closing quote for emacs-->
+        The usual specifiers are expanded in all assignments (see below). Note that this setting is not only
+        useful for attaching additional metadata to log records of a unit, but given that all fields and
+        values are indexed may also be used to implement cross-unit log record matching. Assign an empty
+        string to reset the list.</para></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
       <varlistentry>
@@ -2355,10 +2356,16 @@ StandardInputData=SWNrIHNpdHplIGRhIHVuJyBlc3NlIEtsb3BzLAp1ZmYgZWVtYWwga2xvcHAncy
       <varlistentry>
         <term><varname>$PATH</varname></term>
 
-        <listitem><para>Colon-separated list of directories to use
-        when launching executables. systemd uses a fixed value of
-        <filename>/usr/local/sbin</filename>:<filename>/usr/local/bin</filename>:<filename>/usr/sbin</filename>:<filename>/usr/bin</filename>:<filename>/sbin</filename>:<filename>/bin</filename>.
-        </para></listitem>
+        <listitem><para>Colon-separated list of directories to use when launching
+        executables. <command>systemd</command> uses a fixed value of
+        <literal><filename>/usr/local/sbin</filename>:<filename>/usr/local/bin</filename>:<filename>/usr/sbin</filename>:<filename>/usr/bin</filename></literal>
+        in the system manager. When compiled for systems with "unmerged /usr" (<filename>/bin</filename> is
+        not a symlink to <filename>/usr/bin</filename>),
+        <literal>:<filename>/sbin</filename>:<filename>/bin</filename></literal> is appended. In case of the
+        the user manager, each <filename>bin/</filename> and <filename>sbin/</filename> pair is switched, so
+        that programs from <filename>/usr/bin</filename> have higher priority than programs from
+        <filename>/usr/sbin</filename>, etc. It is recommended to not rely on this in any way, and have only
+        one program with a given name in <varname>$PATH</varname>.</para></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
       <varlistentry>
diff --git a/src/basic/path-util.h b/src/basic/path-util.h
index 1f46cd65c9..71fb7041a3 100644
--- a/src/basic/path-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/path-util.h
@@ -11,30 +11,38 @@
 #include "time-util.h"
 
 #define PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN(x) x "sbin:" x "bin"
+#define PATH_SPLIT_BIN_SBIN(x) x "bin:" x "sbin"
 #define PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x) x "sbin\0" x "bin\0"
 
 #define PATH_NORMAL_SBIN_BIN(x) x "bin"
+#define PATH_NORMAL_BIN_SBIN(x) x "bin"
 #define PATH_NORMAL_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x) x "bin\0"
 
 #if HAVE_SPLIT_BIN
 #  define PATH_SBIN_BIN(x) PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN(x)
+#  define PATH_BIN_SBIN(x) PATH_SPLIT_BIN_SBIN(x)
 #  define PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x) PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x)
 #else
 #  define PATH_SBIN_BIN(x) PATH_NORMAL_SBIN_BIN(x)
+#  define PATH_BIN_SBIN(x) PATH_NORMAL_BIN_SBIN(x)
 #  define PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x) PATH_NORMAL_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR(x)
 #endif
 
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL PATH_SBIN_BIN("/usr/local/") ":" PATH_SBIN_BIN("/usr/")
+#define DEFAULT_USER_PATH_NORMAL PATH_BIN_SBIN("/usr/local/") ":" PATH_BIN_SBIN("/usr/")
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL_NULSTR PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR("/usr/local/") PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR("/usr/")
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_SPLIT_USR DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL ":" PATH_SBIN_BIN("/")
+#define DEFAULT_USER_PATH_SPLIT_USR DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL ":" PATH_BIN_SBIN("/")
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_SPLIT_USR_NULSTR DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL_NULSTR PATH_SBIN_BIN_NULSTR("/")
 #define DEFAULT_PATH_COMPAT PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN("/usr/local/") ":" PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN("/usr/") ":" PATH_SPLIT_SBIN_BIN("/")
 
 #if HAVE_SPLIT_USR
 #  define DEFAULT_PATH DEFAULT_PATH_SPLIT_USR
+#  define DEFAULT_USER_PATH DEFAULT_USER_PATH_SPLIT_USR
 #  define DEFAULT_PATH_NULSTR DEFAULT_PATH_SPLIT_USR_NULSTR
 #else
 #  define DEFAULT_PATH DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL
+#  define DEFAULT_USER_PATH DEFAULT_USER_PATH_NORMAL
 #  define DEFAULT_PATH_NULSTR DEFAULT_PATH_NORMAL_NULSTR
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/core/manager.c b/src/core/manager.c
index 00bf6f70bc..d9114bb0c5 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.c
+++ b/src/core/manager.c
@@ -603,6 +603,8 @@ static char** sanitize_environment(char **l) {
 }
 
 int manager_default_environment(Manager *m) {
+        int r;
+
         assert(m);
 
         m->transient_environment = strv_free(m->transient_environment);
@@ -616,16 +618,29 @@ int manager_default_environment(Manager *m) {
                  * /proc/self/environ valid; it is used for tagging
                  * the init process inside containers. */
                 m->transient_environment = strv_new("PATH=" DEFAULT_PATH);
+                if (!m->transient_environment)
+                        return log_oom();
 
                 /* Import locale variables LC_*= from configuration */
                 (void) locale_setup(&m->transient_environment);
-        } else
-                /* The user manager passes its own environment
-                 * along to its children. */
-                m->transient_environment = strv_copy(environ);
+        } else {
+                _cleanup_free_ char *k = NULL;
 
-        if (!m->transient_environment)
-                return log_oom();
+                /* The user manager passes its own environment
+                 * along to its children, except for $PATH. */
+                m->transient_environment = strv_copy(environ);
+                if (!m->transient_environment)
+                        return log_oom();
+
+                k = strdup("PATH=" DEFAULT_USER_PATH);
+                if (!k)
+                        return log_oom();
+
+                r = strv_env_replace(&m->transient_environment, k);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return log_oom();
+                TAKE_PTR(k);
+        }
 
         sanitize_environment(m->transient_environment);