Public bug reported: [Impact]
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute), running systemd 259.5-0ubuntu3.4, rejects the documented JobTimeoutSec property when creating transient user services. This prevents applications from configuring a manager-enforced timeout for queued systemd jobs. The issue affects applications that rely on systemd-run --user and StartTransientUnit to enforce strict service lifecycle limits. [Environment] Distribution: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute) Source package: systemd Installed version: 259.5-0ubuntu3.4 Running user manager: 259.5-0ubuntu3.4 Architecture: amd64 The installed package and running user manager report the same version. [Steps to Reproduce] The issue was observed when launching a transient user service through systemd-run with the following property: --property=JobTimeoutSec=10s The launcher also specifies resource limits and service isolation properties. The failure occurs while systemd processes the JobTimeoutUSec property, before the service starts. The original failure was: Failed to start transient service unit: Cannot set property JobTimeoutUSec, or unknown property. No additional reproduction tests have been performed. [Expected Result] systemd-run --user should accept JobTimeoutSec=10s and configure the corresponding manager-enforced job timeout. [Actual Result] systemd rejects JobTimeoutUSec and fails to create the transient service. [Root Cause] The upstream systemd v259.5 implementation contains a control-flow bug in: src/core/dbus-unit.c Function: bus_unit_set_transient_property() The JobTimeoutUSec branch calls: bus_set_transient_usec_fix_0() However, the function does not return the result of this call. Instead, execution continues to the end of the function, which returns 0. Consequently, the property is treated as unhandled and the higher-level property handler returns an error. The exact Ubuntu-applied source package has not yet been independently inspected, but the observed behavior matches this upstream defect. [Upstream Fix] The upstream systemd developers fixed this issue on October 3, 2026. Commit: 041e70d7f70372f06e1651a6f2dfd82fa2a13b8e Title: core/dbus-unit: fix returning on "JobTimeoutUSec" URL: https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/041e70d7f70372f06e1651a6f2dfd82fa2a13b8e The fix adds the missing: return r; to the JobTimeoutUSec branch. The fix is present in upstream main. [Ubuntu Package Status] The installed systemd version is 259.5-0ubuntu3.4. Upstream systemd v259.9 also contains the original bug. Ubuntu's proposed systemd 259.9 package has not been verified to include the upstream fix through a downstream patch. Therefore, the availability of a corrected Ubuntu package remains unconfirmed. [Request] Please verify whether Ubuntu's systemd source package 259.5-0ubuntu3.4 contains this defect and consider backporting the existing upstream fix to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. Please also assess whether the fix should be included in the proposed systemd 259.9 update. Preserving JobTimeoutSec is important because it provides a manager-enforced timeout for queued jobs. Removing this property or replacing it with an external process timeout is not functionally equivalent. No local systemd patches, package replacements or configuration workarounds have been applied. ** Affects: systemd (Ubuntu) Importance: Undecided Status: New -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2171290 Title: systemd 259.5: JobTimeoutSec rejected for transient user services despite upstream fix To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/systemd/+bug/2171290/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
