5 files changed, 25 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/src/core/hostname-setup.c b/src/core/hostname-setup.c
index 8aa1cff1d3..57baa79275 100644
--- a/src/core/hostname-setup.c
+++ b/src/core/hostname-setup.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ int hostname_setup(void) {
                 hn = "localhost";
         }
 
-        if (sethostname(hn, strlen(hn)) < 0) {
+        if (sethostname_idempotent(hn) < 0) {
                 log_warning("Failed to set hostname to <%s>: %m", hn);
                 return -errno;
         }
diff --git a/src/hostname/hostnamed.c b/src/hostname/hostnamed.c
index 0cffb5f683..a449610bb8 100644
--- a/src/hostname/hostnamed.c
+++ b/src/hostname/hostnamed.c
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ static int context_update_kernel_hostname(Context *c) {
         else
                 hn = "localhost";
 
-        if (sethostname(hn, strlen(hn)) < 0)
+        if (sethostname_idempotent(hn) < 0)
                 return -errno;
 
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
index c567c8d272..b6d9bc631c 100644
--- a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
+++ b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
@@ -1289,7 +1289,7 @@ static int setup_hostname(void) {
         if (arg_share_system)
                 return 0;
 
-        if (sethostname(arg_machine, strlen(arg_machine)) < 0)
+        if (sethostname_idempotent(arg_machine) < 0)
                 return -errno;
 
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/shared/util.c b/src/shared/util.c
index bc97c67f76..7d94a28302 100644
--- a/src/shared/util.c
+++ b/src/shared/util.c
@@ -7175,3 +7175,23 @@ int free_and_strdup(char **p, const char *s) {
 
         return 0;
 }
+
+int sethostname_idempotent(const char *s) {
+        int r;
+        char buf[HOST_NAME_MAX + 1] = {};
+
+        assert(s);
+
+        r = gethostname(buf, sizeof(buf));
+        if (r < 0)
+                return -errno;
+
+        if (streq(buf, s))
+                return 0;
+
+        r = sethostname(buf, strlen(buf));
+        if (r < 0)
+                return -errno;
+
+        return 1;
+}
diff --git a/src/shared/util.h b/src/shared/util.h
index 887cdc4a44..35584467c1 100644
--- a/src/shared/util.h
+++ b/src/shared/util.h
@@ -997,3 +997,5 @@ int unquote_first_word(const char **p, char **ret);
 int unquote_many_words(const char **p, ...) _sentinel_;
 
 int free_and_strdup(char **p, const char *s);
+
+int sethostname_idempotent(const char *s);