diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index c5b9cee45e067a653aedf84a6baa8b4062319e17..f07a219a8237288ad9f0cdf58d597f3a10913949 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1290,6 +1290,7 @@ virBufferVasprintf;
 
 
 # util/vircgroup.h
+virCgroupAddMachineTask;
 virCgroupAddTask;
 virCgroupAddTaskController;
 virCgroupAllowAllDevices;
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c b/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
index 2170b0ae2f99395459247a5e3098972247555edf..88ba8aaa215ae39edbf8e0f14ae7f5a7c7748ff0 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
@@ -869,12 +869,12 @@ static int virLXCControllerSetupCgroupLimits(virLXCControllerPtr ctrl)
                                             ctrl->nicindexes)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (virCgroupAddTask(ctrl->cgroup, getpid()) < 0)
+    if (virCgroupAddMachineTask(ctrl->cgroup, getpid()) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     /* Add all qemu-nbd tasks to the cgroup */
     for (i = 0; i < ctrl->nnbdpids; i++) {
-        if (virCgroupAddTask(ctrl->cgroup, ctrl->nbdpids[i]) < 0)
+        if (virCgroupAddMachineTask(ctrl->cgroup, ctrl->nbdpids[i]) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/util/vircgroup.c b/src/util/vircgroup.c
index 80ce43c1ff5a7aeeab9acfd030d364ab463feb94..ddf19e9023669d7610148ade97a511e154e1ae1d 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroup.c
+++ b/src/util/vircgroup.c
@@ -1184,16 +1184,8 @@ virCgroupNew(pid_t pid,
 }
 
 
-/**
- * virCgroupAddTask:
- *
- * @group: The cgroup to add a task to
- * @pid: The pid of the task to add
- *
- * Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
- */
-int
-virCgroupAddTask(virCgroupPtr group, pid_t pid)
+static int
+virCgroupAddTaskInternal(virCgroupPtr group, pid_t pid, bool withSystemd)
 {
     int ret = -1;
     size_t i;
@@ -1203,8 +1195,10 @@ virCgroupAddTask(virCgroupPtr group, pid_t pid)
         if (!group->controllers[i].mountPoint)
             continue;
 
-        /* We must never add tasks in systemd's hierarchy */
-        if (i == VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_SYSTEMD)
+        /* We must never add tasks in systemd's hierarchy
+         * unless we're intentionally trying to move a
+         * task into a systemd machine scope */
+        if (i == VIR_CGROUP_CONTROLLER_SYSTEMD && !withSystemd)
             continue;
 
         if (virCgroupAddTaskController(group, pid, i) < 0)
@@ -1216,6 +1210,40 @@ virCgroupAddTask(virCgroupPtr group, pid_t pid)
     return ret;
 }
 
+/**
+ * virCgroupAddTask:
+ *
+ * @group: The cgroup to add a task to
+ * @pid: The pid of the task to add
+ *
+ * Will add the task to all controllers, except the
+ * systemd unit controller.
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
+ */
+int
+virCgroupAddTask(virCgroupPtr group, pid_t pid)
+{
+    return virCgroupAddTaskInternal(group, pid, false);
+}
+
+/**
+ * virCgroupAddMachineTask:
+ *
+ * @group: The cgroup to add a task to
+ * @pid: The pid of the task to add
+ *
+ * Will add the task to all controllers, including the
+ * systemd unit controller.
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success, -1 on error
+ */
+int
+virCgroupAddMachineTask(virCgroupPtr group, pid_t pid)
+{
+    return virCgroupAddTaskInternal(group, pid, true);
+}
+
 
 /**
  * virCgroupAddTaskController:
diff --git a/src/util/vircgroup.h b/src/util/vircgroup.h
index 4b8f3ff86f15da6ac27dd7f69479f14d819334aa..2de1bf2de4ce7bd1798f1ac73094c683945a5610 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroup.h
+++ b/src/util/vircgroup.h
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ int virCgroupPathOfController(virCgroupPtr group,
                               char **path);
 
 int virCgroupAddTask(virCgroupPtr group, pid_t pid);
+int virCgroupAddMachineTask(virCgroupPtr group, pid_t pid);
 
 int virCgroupAddTaskController(virCgroupPtr group,
                                pid_t pid,