diff --git a/units/systemd-firstboot.service b/units/systemd-firstboot.service
index 2e57b064c18..70bc67e1d63 100644
--- a/units/systemd-firstboot.service
+++ b/units/systemd-firstboot.service
@@ -29,10 +29,12 @@ StandardError=tty
 # Optionally, pick up basic fields from credentials passed to the service
 # manager. This is useful for importing this data from nspawn's
 # --set-credential= switch.
-LoadCredential=passwd.hashed-password.root
-LoadCredential=passwd.plaintext-password.root
-LoadCredential=passwd.shell.root
-LoadCredential=firstboot.locale
-LoadCredential=firstboot.locale-messages
-LoadCredential=firstboot.keymap
-LoadCredential=firstboot.timezone
+# FIXME: temporarily disabled as it causes asserts on v247/v248, see:
+# https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/19178
+#LoadCredential=passwd.hashed-password.root
+#LoadCredential=passwd.plaintext-password.root
+#LoadCredential=passwd.shell.root
+#LoadCredential=firstboot.locale
+#LoadCredential=firstboot.locale-messages
+#LoadCredential=firstboot.keymap
+#LoadCredential=firstboot.timezone
diff --git a/units/systemd-sysusers.service b/units/systemd-sysusers.service
index 47373307b32..460ff387f25 100644
--- a/units/systemd-sysusers.service
+++ b/units/systemd-sysusers.service
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ TimeoutSec=90s
 # Optionally, pick up a root password and shell for the root user from a
 # credential passed to the service manager. This is useful for importing this
 # data from nspawn's --set-credential= switch.
-LoadCredential=passwd.hashed-password.root
-LoadCredential=passwd.plaintext-password.root
-LoadCredential=passwd.shell.root
+# FIXME: temporarily disabled as it causes asserts on v247/v248, see:
+# https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/19178
+#LoadCredential=passwd.hashed-password.root
+#LoadCredential=passwd.plaintext-password.root
+#LoadCredential=passwd.shell.root