diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index a6d293f..cb6710a 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ use cosmic_notifications_util::{DAEMON_NOTIFICATIONS_FD, PANEL_NOTIFICATIONS_FD}
 use futures_util::StreamExt;
 use launch_pad::{process::Process, ProcessManager};
 use service::SessionRequest;
+use systemd::{is_systemd_used, spawn_scope};
 use tokio::{
 	net::UnixStream,
 	sync::{
@@ -356,7 +357,7 @@ async fn start_component(
 	}
 	let (extra_fd_env, _): (Vec<_>, Vec<_>) = extra_fd_env.into_iter().unzip();
 	fds.push(fd);
-	process_manager
+	let key = process_manager
 		.start(
 			Process::new()
 				.with_executable(cmd)
@@ -414,4 +415,13 @@ async fn start_component(
 		)
 		.await
 		.unwrap_or_else(|_| panic!("failed to start {}", cmd));
+	if *is_systemd_used() {
+		//currently pid is optional hence the double unwrap
+		let pids = process_manager.get_pid(key).await.unwrap().unwrap();
+		//spawn_scope takes a vec of pids in case we want to spawn a scope for multiple processes
+		spawn_scope(&format!("{cmd}.scope"), vec![pids])
+			.await
+			.unwrap();
+	}
+	process_manager.get_pid(key).await.unwrap();
 }
diff --git a/src/systemd.rs b/src/systemd.rs
index 31be26b..080e1c2 100644
--- a/src/systemd.rs
+++ b/src/systemd.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-only
 
 use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+use std::sync::OnceLock;
+
+use zbus::zvariant::{Array, OwnedValue};
+use zbus::{proxy, zvariant::Value, Connection};
 
 pub async fn set_systemd_environment(key: &str, value: &str) {
 	run_optional_command(
@@ -23,6 +27,53 @@ pub fn stop_systemd_target() {
 	)
 }
 
+///Determine if systemd is used as the init system. This should work on all linux distributions.
+pub fn is_systemd_used() -> &'static bool {
+	static IS_SYSTEMD_USED: OnceLock<bool> = OnceLock::new();
+	IS_SYSTEMD_USED.get_or_init(
+		|| match Command::new("readlink").args(&["/sbin/init"]).output() {
+			Ok(output) => {
+				let init = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+				init.trim().ends_with("/lib/systemd/systemd")
+			}
+			Err(error) => {
+				warn!("unable to check if systemd is used: {}", error);
+				false
+			}
+		},
+	)
+}
+
+#[proxy(
+	name = "org.freedesktop.systemd1.Manager",
+	default_service = "org.freedesktop.systemd1",
+	default_path = "/org/freedesktop/systemd1"
+)]
+trait SystemdManager<'a> {
+	fn start_transient_unit<'a>(
+		&self,
+		name: &str,
+		mode: &str,
+		properties: Vec<(String, Value<'a>)>,
+		//This is based on the systemd-zbus implementation, however according to the spec this should be empty
+		//see: https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/latest/org.freedesktop.systemd1.html#:~:text=aux%20is%20currently%20unused
+		aux: Vec<(String, Vec<(String, Value<'a>)>)>,
+	) -> zbus::Result<()>;
+}
+
+///Spawn a systemd scope unit with the given name and PIDs.
+pub async fn spawn_scope(scope_name: &str, pids: Vec<u32>) -> zbus::Result<()> {
+	let connection = Connection::session().await?;
+	let systemd_manager = SystemdManagerProxy::new(&connection).await?;
+
+	let properties = vec![(String::from("PIDs"), Value::Array(Array::from(pids)))];
+	systemd_manager
+		.start_transient_unit(scope_name, "fail", properties, Vec::new())
+		.await?;
+
+	Ok(())
+}
+
 /// run a command, but log errors instead of returning them or panicking
 fn run_optional_command(cmd: &str, args: &[&str]) {
 	match Command::new(cmd).args(args).stdin(Stdio::null()).status() {