diff --git a/src/basic/process-util.c b/src/basic/process-util.c
index c9d968dee0a..648b160c87a 100644
--- a/src/basic/process-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/process-util.c
@@ -1457,11 +1457,20 @@ int safe_fork_full(
         sigset_t saved_ss, ss;
         _unused_ _cleanup_(restore_sigsetp) sigset_t *saved_ssp = NULL;
         bool block_signals = false, block_all = false, intermediary = false;
+        _cleanup_free_ char *prefixed_name = NULL;
         int prio, r;
 
         assert(!FLAGS_SET(flags, FORK_DETACH) || !ret_pid);
         assert(!FLAGS_SET(flags, FORK_DETACH|FORK_WAIT));
 
+        if (name && FLAGS_SET(flags, FORK_ARGV00_AT)) {
+                /* Optionally, ensure argv[0][0] is '@', in order to implement https://systemd.io/ROOT_STORAGE_DAEMONS */
+                prefixed_name = strjoin("@", name);
+                if (!prefixed_name)
+                        return -ENOMEM;
+                name = prefixed_name;
+        }
+
         /* A wrapper around fork(), that does a couple of important initializations in addition to mere forking. Always
          * returns the child's PID in *ret_pid. Returns == 0 in the child, and > 0 in the parent. */
 
diff --git a/src/basic/process-util.h b/src/basic/process-util.h
index 83084028478..960df87a38e 100644
--- a/src/basic/process-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/process-util.h
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ typedef enum ForkFlags {
         FORK_DETACH             = 1 << 18, /* Double fork if needed to ensure PID1/subreaper is parent */
         FORK_NEW_NETNS          = 1 << 19, /* Run child in its own network namespace                             💣 DO NOT USE IN THREADED PROGRAMS! 💣 */
         FORK_PACK_FDS           = 1 << 20, /* Rearrange the passed FDs to be FD 3,4,5,etc. Updates the array in place (combine with FORK_CLOSE_ALL_FDS!) */
+        FORK_ARGV00_AT          = 1 << 21, /* Prefix supplied name with '@', to exclude child process from final killing spree */
 } ForkFlags;
 
 int safe_fork_full(
diff --git a/src/shared/async.c b/src/shared/async.c
index bbb8b81011a..924081cfadf 100644
--- a/src/shared/async.c
+++ b/src/shared/async.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include "argv-util.h"
 #include "async.h"
 #include "errno-util.h"
 #include "fd-util.h"
@@ -22,7 +23,14 @@ int asynchronous_sync(pid_t *ret_pid) {
          * original process ever, and a thread would do that as the process can't exit with threads hanging in blocking
          * syscalls. */
 
-        r = safe_fork("(sd-sync)", FORK_RESET_SIGNALS|FORK_CLOSE_ALL_FDS|(ret_pid ? 0 : FORK_DETACH), ret_pid);
+        /* Note that we set argv[0][0] = '@' here if we are called from PID 1, which tells the
+         * switch-root/soft-reboot/shutdown killing spree to leave this process around. After all the killing
+         * is likely not going to work anyway, and given the limited scope of the child it's really not worth
+         * killing it. */
+
+        r = safe_fork("(sd-sync)",
+                      FORK_RESET_SIGNALS|FORK_CLOSE_ALL_FDS|(ret_pid ? 0 : FORK_DETACH)|(getpid_cached() == 1 ? FORK_ARGV00_AT : 0),
+                      ret_pid);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
         if (r == 0) {
@@ -41,12 +49,23 @@ int asynchronous_sync(pid_t *ret_pid) {
 static int close_func(void *p) {
         unsigned v = PTR_TO_UINT(p);
 
-        (void) prctl(PR_SET_NAME, (unsigned long*) "(sd-close)");
-
         /* Note: 💣 This function is invoked in a child process created via glibc's clone() wrapper. In such
          *       children memory allocation is not allowed, since glibc does not release malloc mutexes in
          *       clone() 💣 */
 
+        /* This is a poor man's version of rename_process(). We don't use the real thing to avoid any memory
+         * allocations. We set argv[0][0] to '@' if invoked by PID 1 to exclude us from the
+         * switch-root/soft-reboot/shutdown killing spree, since it would likely fail anyway, and with a
+         * process of such minimal scope is not really worh the effort anyway. */
+        const char *comm;
+        if (getppid() == 1) {
+                if (saved_argc >= 1 && !isempty(saved_argv[0]))
+                        saved_argv[0][0] = '@';
+                comm = "@(sd-close)";
+        } else
+                comm = "(sd-close)";
+        (void) prctl(PR_SET_NAME, comm);
+
         if (v & NEED_DOUBLE_FORK) {
                 pid_t pid;
 
@@ -117,9 +136,15 @@ int asynchronous_rm_rf(const char *p, RemoveFlags flags) {
         assert(p);
 
         /* Forks off a child that destroys the specified path. This will be best effort only, i.e. the child
-         * will attempt to do its thing, but we won't wait for it or check its success. */
+         * will attempt to do its thing, but we won't wait for it or check its success.
+         *
+         * We do set argv[0][0] = '@' here however (if we are invoked as PID 1), to ensure that the this is
+         * excluded from the switch-root/soft-reboot/poweroff killing spree, and can definitely complete it's
+         * job. */
 
-        r = safe_fork("(sd-rmrf)", FORK_RESET_SIGNALS|FORK_CLOSE_ALL_FDS|FORK_DETACH, NULL);
+        r = safe_fork("(sd-rmrf)",
+                      FORK_RESET_SIGNALS|FORK_CLOSE_ALL_FDS|FORK_DETACH|(getpid_cached() == 1 ? FORK_ARGV00_AT : 0),
+                      /* ret_pid= */ NULL);
         if (r != 0)
                 return r;