diff --git a/man/sd_notify.xml b/man/sd_notify.xml
index 52685c404b..fd229535d9 100644
--- a/man/sd_notify.xml
+++ b/man/sd_notify.xml
@@ -209,6 +209,11 @@
         to allow the service manager to track the service's internal state, and present it to the user.
         </para>
 
+        <para>Starting with version 259, transitioning to the STOPPING state is final and cannot be undone
+        with another notification. If after sending <literal>STOPPING=1</literal> the service doesn't
+        terminate within the stop timeout, all remaining processes in the unit will be killed.
+        </para>
+
         <xi:include href="version-info.xml" xpointer="v217"/></listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
diff --git a/src/core/service.c b/src/core/service.c
index 1918147525..535c833e25 100644
--- a/src/core/service.c
+++ b/src/core/service.c
@@ -5448,11 +5448,12 @@ static void service_notify_message_process_state(Service *s, char * const *tags)
                 return;
         }
 
-        /* Disallow resurrecting a dying service */
-        if (s->notify_state == NOTIFY_STOPPING)
-                return;
-
         if (strv_contains(tags, "READY=1")) {
+                if (s->notify_state == NOTIFY_STOPPING) {
+                        log_unit_error(UNIT(s),
+                                       "Service must stop after STOPPING=1 notification, refusing attempted transition to READY.");
+                        return;
+                }
 
                 if (s->type == SERVICE_NOTIFY_RELOAD && s->state == SERVICE_START) {
                         r = service_check_reload_signal_handler(s, ", refusing service startup", ", ignoring");
@@ -5498,6 +5499,11 @@ static void service_notify_message_process_state(Service *s, char * const *tags)
                         service_enter_reload_post(s);
 
         } else if (strv_contains(tags, "RELOADING=1")) {
+                if (s->notify_state == NOTIFY_STOPPING) {
+                        log_unit_error(UNIT(s),
+                                       "Service must stop after STOPPING=1 notification, refusing attempted transition to RELOADING.");
+                        return;
+                }
 
                 s->notify_state = NOTIFY_RELOADING;