diff --git a/man/systemd.service.xml b/man/systemd.service.xml
index 549f36af1d..d4a1978523 100644
--- a/man/systemd.service.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.service.xml
@@ -1250,9 +1250,10 @@ RestartMaxDelaySec=160s</programlisting>
         file descriptor store is automatically released when the service is stopped; if
         <constant>restart</constant> (the default) it is kept around as long as the unit is neither inactive
         nor failed, or a job is queued for the service, or the service is expected to be restarted. If
-        <constant>yes</constant> the file descriptor store is kept around until the unit is removed from
-        memory (i.e. is not referenced anymore and inactive). The latter is useful to keep entries in the
-        file descriptor store pinned until the service manager exits.</para>
+        <constant>yes</constant> the file descriptor store is kept around and garbage collection of the unit
+        is disabled. The latter is useful to keep entries in the file descriptor store pinned until the unit
+        is removed, the service manager exits, or the file descriptors get <constant>EPOLLHUP</constant> or
+        <constant>EPOLLERR</constant>.</para>
 
         <para>Use <command>systemctl clean --what=fdstore …</command> to release the file descriptor store
         explicitly.</para>
diff --git a/man/systemd.unit.xml b/man/systemd.unit.xml
index 8bbff2f210..47c30d869f 100644
--- a/man/systemd.unit.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.unit.xml
@@ -1082,6 +1082,11 @@
         resources, …) are flushed out immediately after the unit completed, except for what is stored in the logging
         subsystem. Defaults to <option>inactive</option>.</para>
 
+        <para>Since v261, if <varname>FileDescriptorStorePreserve=</varname> is set to <option>yes</option>,
+        and the unit has file descriptors stored, garbage collection will be disabled until the unit is
+        removed, the service manager exits, or the file descriptors get <constant>EPOLLHUP</constant> or
+        <constant>EPOLLERR</constant>.</para>
+
         <xi:include href="version-info.xml" xpointer="v236"/>
         </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
diff --git a/src/core/service.c b/src/core/service.c
index 51bba291e8..569a6871d6 100644
--- a/src/core/service.c
+++ b/src/core/service.c
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@
 
 #define service_spawn(...) service_spawn_internal(__func__, __VA_ARGS__)
 
+#define SERVICE_FD_STORE_POPULATED(s) (!!(s)->fd_store)
+
 static const UnitActiveState state_translation_table[_SERVICE_STATE_MAX] = {
         [SERVICE_DEAD]                       = UNIT_INACTIVE,
         [SERVICE_CONDITION]                  = UNIT_ACTIVATING,
@@ -138,6 +140,8 @@ static void service_enter_reload_by_notify(Service *s);
 
 static bool service_can_reload_extensions(Service *s, bool warn);
 
+static void service_set_state(Service *s, ServiceState state);
+
 static bool SERVICE_STATE_WITH_MAIN_PROCESS(ServiceState state) {
         return IN_SET(state,
                       SERVICE_START, SERVICE_START_POST,
@@ -479,12 +483,12 @@ DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(ServiceFDStore*, service_fd_store_unlink);
 static void service_release_fd_store(Service *s) {
         assert(s);
 
-        if (!s->fd_store)
+        if (!SERVICE_FD_STORE_POPULATED(s))
                 return;
 
         log_unit_debug(UNIT(s), "Releasing all stored fds.");
 
-        while (s->fd_store)
+        while (SERVICE_FD_STORE_POPULATED(s))
                 service_fd_store_unlink(s->fd_store);
 
         assert(s->n_fd_store == 0);
@@ -571,15 +575,20 @@ static void service_done(Unit *u) {
 
 static int on_fd_store_io(sd_event_source *e, int fd, uint32_t revents, void *userdata) {
         ServiceFDStore *fs = ASSERT_PTR(userdata);
+        Service *s = fs->service;
 
         assert(e);
 
         /* If we get either EPOLLHUP or EPOLLERR, it's time to remove this entry from the fd store */
-        log_unit_debug(UNIT(fs->service),
+        log_unit_debug(UNIT(s),
                        "Received %s on stored fd %d (%s), closing.",
                        revents & EPOLLERR ? "EPOLLERR" : "EPOLLHUP",
                        fs->fd, strna(fs->fdname));
         service_fd_store_unlink(fs);
+
+        if (s->state == SERVICE_DEAD_RESOURCES_PINNED && !SERVICE_FD_STORE_POPULATED(s))
+                service_set_state(s, SERVICE_DEAD);
+
         return 0;
 }
 
@@ -2126,7 +2135,7 @@ static bool service_will_restart(Unit *u) {
 static ServiceState service_determine_dead_state(Service *s) {
         assert(s);
 
-        return s->fd_store && s->fd_store_preserve_mode == EXEC_PRESERVE_YES ? SERVICE_DEAD_RESOURCES_PINNED : SERVICE_DEAD;
+        return SERVICE_FD_STORE_POPULATED(s) && s->fd_store_preserve_mode == EXEC_PRESERVE_YES ? SERVICE_DEAD_RESOURCES_PINNED : SERVICE_DEAD;
 }
 
 static void service_enter_dead(Service *s, ServiceResult f, bool allow_restart) {
@@ -3950,8 +3959,10 @@ static bool service_may_gc(Unit *u) {
                 return false;
 
         /* Only allow collection of actually dead services, i.e. not those that are in the transitionary
-         * SERVICE_DEAD_BEFORE_AUTO_RESTART/SERVICE_FAILED_BEFORE_AUTO_RESTART states. */
-        if (!IN_SET(s->state, SERVICE_DEAD, SERVICE_FAILED, SERVICE_DEAD_RESOURCES_PINNED))
+         * SERVICE_DEAD_BEFORE_AUTO_RESTART/SERVICE_FAILED_BEFORE_AUTO_RESTART states, and not those
+         * that still have resources pinned (fd store with FileDescriptorStorePreserve=yes) in case they are
+         * started again later despite not having any reverse dependency. */
+        if (!IN_SET(s->state, SERVICE_DEAD, SERVICE_FAILED))
                 return false;
 
         return true;
@@ -5612,7 +5623,7 @@ static int service_clean(Unit *u, ExecCleanMask mask) {
 
         /* If we are done, leave quickly */
         if (strv_isempty(l)) {
-                if (s->state == SERVICE_DEAD_RESOURCES_PINNED && !s->fd_store)
+                if (s->state == SERVICE_DEAD_RESOURCES_PINNED && !SERVICE_FD_STORE_POPULATED(s))
                         service_set_state(s, SERVICE_DEAD);
                 return 0;
         }
@@ -5865,7 +5876,7 @@ static void service_release_resources(Unit *u) {
         if (s->fd_store_preserve_mode != EXEC_PRESERVE_YES)
                 service_release_fd_store(s);
 
-        if (s->state == SERVICE_DEAD_RESOURCES_PINNED && !s->fd_store)
+        if (s->state == SERVICE_DEAD_RESOURCES_PINNED && !SERVICE_FD_STORE_POPULATED(s))
                 service_set_state(s, SERVICE_DEAD);
 }