diff --git a/libvirt.spec.in b/libvirt.spec.in
index d54f58f1d4..b13b863928 100644
--- a/libvirt.spec.in
+++ b/libvirt.spec.in
@@ -1342,6 +1342,8 @@ exit 0
 
 %systemd_post virtlockd.socket virtlockd-admin.socket
 %systemd_post virtlogd.socket virtlogd-admin.socket
+%systemd_post libvirtd.socket libvirtd-ro.socket libvirtd-admin.socket
+%systemd_post libvirtd-tcp.socket libvirtd-tls.socket
 %systemd_post libvirtd.service
 
 # request daemon restart in posttrans
@@ -1350,6 +1352,8 @@ touch %{_localstatedir}/lib/rpm-state/libvirt/restart || :
 
 %preun daemon
 %systemd_preun libvirtd.service
+%systemd_preun libvirtd-tcp.socket libvirtd-tls.socket
+%systemd_preun libvirtd.socket libvirtd-ro.socket libvirtd-admin.socket
 %systemd_preun virtlogd.socket virtlogd-admin.socket virtlogd.service
 %systemd_preun virtlockd.socket virtlockd-admin.socket virtlockd.service
 
@@ -1374,7 +1378,20 @@ fi
 
 %posttrans daemon
 if [ -f %{_localstatedir}/lib/rpm-state/libvirt/restart ]; then
-    /bin/systemctl try-restart libvirtd.service >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
+    # Old libvirtd owns the sockets and will delete them on
+    # shutdown. Can't use a try-restart as libvirtd will simply
+    # own the sockets again when it comes back up. Thus we must
+    # do this particular ordering
+    /bin/systemctl is-active libvirtd.service 1>/dev/null 2>&1
+    if test $? = 0 ; then
+        /bin/systemctl stop libvirtd.service >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
+
+        /bin/systemctl try-restart libvirtd.socket >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
+        /bin/systemctl try-restart libvirtd-ro.socket >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
+        /bin/systemctl try-restart libvirtd-admin.socket >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
+
+        /bin/systemctl start libvirtd.service >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
+    fi
 fi
 rm -rf %{_localstatedir}/lib/rpm-state/libvirt || :
 
@@ -1505,6 +1522,11 @@ exit 0
 %dir %attr(0700, root, root) %{_sysconfdir}/libvirt/
 
 %{_unitdir}/libvirtd.service
+%{_unitdir}/libvirtd.socket
+%{_unitdir}/libvirtd-ro.socket
+%{_unitdir}/libvirtd-admin.socket
+%{_unitdir}/libvirtd-tcp.socket
+%{_unitdir}/libvirtd-tls.socket
 %{_unitdir}/virt-guest-shutdown.target
 %{_unitdir}/virtlogd.service
 %{_unitdir}/virtlogd.socket
diff --git a/src/remote/Makefile.inc.am b/src/remote/Makefile.inc.am
index 851ab903fd..0cf00cb902 100644
--- a/src/remote/Makefile.inc.am
+++ b/src/remote/Makefile.inc.am
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ MANINFILES += libvirtd.8.in
 
 SYSTEMD_UNIT_FILES_IN += \
 	remote/libvirtd.service.in \
+	remote/libvirtd.socket.in \
+	remote/libvirtd-ro.socket.in \
+	remote/libvirtd-admin.socket.in \
+	remote/libvirtd-tcp.socket.in \
+	remote/libvirtd-tls.socket.in \
 	remote/virt-guest-shutdown.target.in \
 	$(NULL)
 
@@ -267,6 +272,36 @@ libvirtd.service: remote/libvirtd.service.in $(top_builddir)/config.status
 	    < $< > $@-t && \
 	    mv $@-t $@
 
+libvirtd.socket: remote/libvirtd.socket.in $(top_builddir)/config.status
+	$(AM_V_GEN)sed \
+	    -e 's|[@]localstatedir[@]|$(localstatedir)|g' \
+	    < $< > $@-t && \
+	    mv $@-t $@
+
+libvirtd-ro.socket: remote/libvirtd-ro.socket.in $(top_builddir)/config.status
+	$(AM_V_GEN)sed \
+	    -e 's|[@]localstatedir[@]|$(localstatedir)|g' \
+	    < $< > $@-t && \
+	    mv $@-t $@
+
+libvirtd-admin.socket: remote/libvirtd-admin.socket.in $(top_builddir)/config.status
+	$(AM_V_GEN)sed \
+	    -e 's|[@]localstatedir[@]|$(localstatedir)|g' \
+	    < $< > $@-t && \
+	    mv $@-t $@
+
+libvirtd-tcp.socket: remote/libvirtd-tcp.socket.in $(top_builddir)/config.status
+	$(AM_V_GEN)sed \
+	    -e 's|[@]localstatedir[@]|$(localstatedir)|g' \
+	    < $< > $@-t && \
+	    mv $@-t $@
+
+libvirtd-tls.socket: remote/libvirtd-tls.socket.in $(top_builddir)/config.status
+	$(AM_V_GEN)sed \
+	    -e 's|[@]localstatedir[@]|$(localstatedir)|g' \
+	    < $< > $@-t && \
+	    mv $@-t $@
+
 virt-guest-shutdown.target: remote/virt-guest-shutdown.target.in \
 			$(top_builddir)/config.status
 	$(AM_V_GEN)cp $< $@
diff --git a/src/remote/libvirtd-admin.socket.in b/src/remote/libvirtd-admin.socket.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b791a2eb1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/remote/libvirtd-admin.socket.in
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Libvirt admin socket
+Before=libvirtd.service
+BindsTo=libvirtd.socket
+After=libvirtd.socket
+
+[Socket]
+ListenStream=@localstatedir@/run/libvirt/libvirt-admin-sock
+Service=libvirtd.service
+SocketMode=0600
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=sockets.target
diff --git a/src/remote/libvirtd-ro.socket.in b/src/remote/libvirtd-ro.socket.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..55c44944b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/remote/libvirtd-ro.socket.in
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Libvirt local read-only socket
+Before=libvirtd.service
+BindsTo=libvirtd.socket
+After=libvirtd.socket
+
+[Socket]
+ListenStream=@localstatedir@/run/libvirt/libvirt-sock-ro
+Service=libvirtd.service
+SocketMode=0666
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=sockets.target
diff --git a/src/remote/libvirtd-tcp.socket.in b/src/remote/libvirtd-tcp.socket.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..09d5d3d67a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/remote/libvirtd-tcp.socket.in
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Libvirt non-TLS IP socket
+Before=libvirtd.service
+BindsTo=libvirtd.socket
+After=libvirtd.socket
+
+[Socket]
+ListenStream=16509
+Service=libvirtd.service
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=sockets.target
diff --git a/src/remote/libvirtd-tls.socket.in b/src/remote/libvirtd-tls.socket.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c60f0c9c77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/remote/libvirtd-tls.socket.in
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Libvirt TLS IP socket
+Before=libvirtd.service
+BindsTo=libvirtd.socket
+After=libvirtd.socket
+
+[Socket]
+ListenStream=16514
+Service=libvirtd.service
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=sockets.target
diff --git a/src/remote/libvirtd.service.in b/src/remote/libvirtd.service.in
index 7f689e08a8..047620f79b 100644
--- a/src/remote/libvirtd.service.in
+++ b/src/remote/libvirtd.service.in
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
-# NB we don't use socket activation. When libvirtd starts it will
-# spawn any virtual machines registered for autostart. We want this
-# to occur on every boot, regardless of whether any client connects
-# to a socket. Thus socket activation doesn't have any benefit
-
 [Unit]
 Description=Virtualization daemon
 Requires=virtlogd.socket
 Requires=virtlockd.socket
+Requires=libvirtd.socket
+Requires=libvirtd-ro.socket
+Requires=libvirtd-admin.socket
 Wants=systemd-machined.service
 Before=libvirt-guests.service
 After=network.target
@@ -42,3 +40,5 @@ TasksMax=32768
 WantedBy=multi-user.target
 Also=virtlockd.socket
 Also=virtlogd.socket
+Also=libvirtd.socket
+Also=libvirtd-ro.socket
diff --git a/src/remote/libvirtd.socket.in b/src/remote/libvirtd.socket.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e194c6e76e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/remote/libvirtd.socket.in
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Libvirt local socket
+Before=libvirtd.service
+
+[Socket]
+ListenStream=@localstatedir@/run/libvirt/libvirt-sock
+Service=libvirtd.service
+SocketMode=0666
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=sockets.target