diff --git a/SPECS-SIGNED/systemd-boot-signed/systemd-boot-signed.spec b/SPECS-SIGNED/systemd-boot-signed/systemd-boot-signed.spec
index c3d1fd46c5f..90b06e86d9f 100644
--- a/SPECS-SIGNED/systemd-boot-signed/systemd-boot-signed.spec
+++ b/SPECS-SIGNED/systemd-boot-signed/systemd-boot-signed.spec
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Version:        255
 # determine the build information from local checkout
 Version:        %(tools/meson-vcs-tag.sh . error | sed -r 's/-([0-9])/.^\1/; s/-g/_g/')
 %endif
-Release:        26%{?dist}
+Release:        27%{?dist}
 License:        LGPL-2.1-or-later AND MIT AND GPL-2.0-or-later
 Vendor:         Microsoft Corporation
 Distribution:   Azure Linux
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ popd
 /boot/efi/EFI/BOOT/%{grubefiname}
 
 %changelog
+* Fri Mar 13 2026 Dan Streetman <ddstreet@ieee.org> - 255-27
+- Bump release to match systemd spec
+
 * Tue Mar 03 2026 Dan Streetman <ddstreet@ieee.org> - 255-26
 - Bump release to match systemd spec
 
diff --git a/SPECS/systemd/Prevent-corruption-from-stale-alias-state-on-daemon-reload.patch b/SPECS/systemd/Prevent-corruption-from-stale-alias-state-on-daemon-reload.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..86160c805a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SPECS/systemd/Prevent-corruption-from-stale-alias-state-on-daemon-reload.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+From 4905c95118b3203f1117116cba8c8529763e8593 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Dan Streetman <ddstreet@ieee.org>
+Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:13:04 -0400
+Subject: [PATCH] Prevent corruption from stale alias state on daemon-reload
+
+Avoid incorrect systemd service unit state in certain conditions, to avoid pid1
+assert. Taken from unmerged upstream PR.
+
+Upstream PR: #39703
+https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/39703
+
+Fixes: #38817
+https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/38817
+
+All credit for identifying and debugging this problem goes to
+Balakumaran Kannan <balakumaran.kannan@microsoft.com>
+
+---
+ src/core/manager-serialize.c | 8 ++++++++
+ 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+)
+
+diff --git a/src/core/manager-serialize.c b/src/core/manager-serialize.c
+index e9d567a97b..4f7c315b4b 100644
+--- a/src/core/manager-serialize.c
++++ b/src/core/manager-serialize.c
+@@ -204,6 +204,14 @@ static int manager_deserialize_one_unit(Manager *m, const char *name, FILE *f, F
+                 return log_notice_errno(r, "Failed to load unit \"%s\", skipping deserialization: %m", name);
+         }
+ 
++        if (!streq(u->id, name)) {
++                log_warning("Unit file for '%s' was overridden by a symlink to '%s'. Skipping stale state of old unit. Any processes from the overridden unit are now abandoned!",
++                            name,
++                            u->id);
++
++                return unit_deserialize_state_skip(f);
++        }
++
+         r = unit_deserialize_state(u, f, fds);
+         if (r < 0) {
+                 if (r == -ENOMEM)
+-- 
+2.51.0
+
diff --git a/SPECS/systemd/systemd.spec b/SPECS/systemd/systemd.spec
index 1dd8148e8b2..9564721f3f5 100644
--- a/SPECS/systemd/systemd.spec
+++ b/SPECS/systemd/systemd.spec
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ Version:        255
 # determine the build information from local checkout
 Version:        %(tools/meson-vcs-tag.sh . error | sed -r 's/-([0-9])/.^\1/; s/-g/_g/')
 %endif
-Release:        26%{?dist}
+Release:        27%{?dist}
 
 # FIXME - hardcode to 'stable' for now as that's what we have in our blobstore
 %global stable 1
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ Patch0905:      ipc-call-0001-path-util-add-flavour-of-path_startswith-that-leav
 Patch0906:      ipc-call-0003-core-cgroup-avoid-one-unnecessary-strjoina.patch
 Patch0907:      ipc-call-0002-path-util-invert-PATH_STARTSWITH_ACCEPT_DOT_DOT-flag.patch
 Patch0908:      ipc-call-0004-core-validate-input-cgroup-path-more-prudently.patch
+Patch0909:      Prevent-corruption-from-stale-alias-state-on-daemon-reload.patch
 
 %ifarch %{ix86} x86_64 aarch64
 %global want_bootloader 1
@@ -1234,6 +1235,9 @@ rm -f %{name}.lang
 # %autochangelog. So we need to continue manually maintaining the
 # changelog here.
 %changelog
+* Fri Mar 13 2026 Dan Streetman <ddstreet@ieee.org> - 255-27
+- Prevent corruption from stale alias state on daemon-reload
+
 * Mon Mar 02 2026 Dan Streetman <ddstreet@ieee.org> - 255-26
 - Apply patches for ipc issue.