diff --git a/filebeat/cmd/root.go b/filebeat/cmd/root.go
index 81d87807fcf1..98c19c1d6c47 100644
--- a/filebeat/cmd/root.go
+++ b/filebeat/cmd/root.go
@@ -63,7 +63,14 @@ func Filebeat(inputs beater.PluginFactory, settings instance.Settings) *cmd.Beat
 	command.PersistentFlags().AddGoFlag(flag.CommandLine.Lookup("M"))
 	command.TestCmd.Flags().AddGoFlag(flag.CommandLine.Lookup("modules"))
 	command.SetupCmd.Flags().AddGoFlag(flag.CommandLine.Lookup("modules"))
-	command.Flags().AddGoFlag(flag.CommandLine.Lookup("ignore-journald-version"))
+
+	// main_test.go calls this function before the Journald input is initialised
+	// to avoid panics, we check whether the flag is defined before calling
+	// AddGoFlag
+	if ignoreSystemdFlag := flag.CommandLine.Lookup("ignore-journald-version"); ignoreSystemdFlag != nil {
+		command.Flags().AddGoFlag(ignoreSystemdFlag)
+	}
+
 	command.AddCommand(cmd.GenModulesCmd(Name, "", buildModulesManager))
 	command.AddCommand(genGenerateCmd())
 	return command
diff --git a/filebeat/include/list.go b/filebeat/include/list.go
index d0c0ea511c4e..6e74633e1ee4 100644
--- a/filebeat/include/list.go
+++ b/filebeat/include/list.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	// Import packages that perform 'func init()'.
 	_ "github.com/elastic/beats/v7/filebeat/input"
 	_ "github.com/elastic/beats/v7/filebeat/input/container"
+	_ "github.com/elastic/beats/v7/filebeat/input/journald"
 	_ "github.com/elastic/beats/v7/filebeat/input/log"
 	_ "github.com/elastic/beats/v7/filebeat/input/mqtt"
 	_ "github.com/elastic/beats/v7/filebeat/input/redis"
diff --git a/filebeat/input/journald/input.go b/filebeat/input/journald/input.go
index c633154a976f..161133a85e26 100644
--- a/filebeat/input/journald/input.go
+++ b/filebeat/input/journald/input.go
@@ -73,16 +73,17 @@ type checkpoint struct {
 	MonotonicTimestamp uint64
 }
 
-// errCannotConnectToDBus is returned when the connection to D-Bus
-// cannot be established.
-var errCannotConnectToDBus = errors.New("cannot connect to D-Bus")
-
 // LocalSystemJournalID is the ID of the local system journal.
 const localSystemJournalID = "LOCAL_SYSTEM_JOURNAL"
 
 const pluginName = "journald"
 
+// ErrSystemdVersionNotSupported is returned by the plugin manager when the
+// Systemd version is not supported.
 var ErrSystemdVersionNotSupported = errors.New("systemd version must be >= 255")
+
+// ErrCannotGetSystemdVersion is returned by the plugin manager when it is
+// not possible to get the Systemd version via D-Bus.
 var ErrCannotGetSystemdVersion = errors.New("cannot get systemd version")
 
 // Plugin creates a new journald input plugin for creating a stateful input.
@@ -359,26 +360,34 @@ func (r *readerAdapter) Next() (reader.Message, error) {
 //   - 252.16-1.amzn2023.0.2
 //
 // The function will parse and return the integer before the full stop.
-func parseSystemdVersion(output string) (int, error) {
-	parts := strings.Split(output, ".")
-	if len(parts) < 2 {
-		return 0, errors.New("unexpected format for version.")
-	}
-
-	version, err := strconv.Atoi(parts[0])
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse Systemd version: %s", err)
+func parseSystemdVersion(ver string) (int, error) {
+	// First try, it's just the version number
+	version, err := strconv.Atoi(ver)
+	if err == nil {
+		return version, nil
+	}
+
+	separators := []string{" ", "."}
+	// Second try, it's separated by '.' like: 255.6-1-arch
+	for _, sep := range separators {
+		parts := strings.Split(ver, sep)
+		if len(parts) >= 2 {
+			version, err := strconv.Atoi(parts[0])
+			if err == nil {
+				return version, nil
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
-	return version, err
+	return 0, fmt.Errorf("unknown format for Systemd version: '%s'", ver)
 }
 
 // getSystemdVersionViaDBus gets the Systemd version from D-Bus
 //
 // We get the version by reading the property
 // `org.freedesktop.systemd1.Manager.Version`. Even though this property is
-// is documented as not being part of the official API and having an unstable
-// scheme, on our tests it proved to be stable enough.
+// documented as not being part of the official API and having an unstable
+// scheme, on our tests it proved to be stable enough for this use.
 //
 // The Systemd D-Bus documentation states:
 //
@@ -391,7 +400,7 @@ func parseSystemdVersion(output string) (int, error) {
 func getSystemdVersionViaDBus() (string, error) {
 	conn, err := dbus.ConnectSessionBus()
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", errCannotConnectToDBus, err)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("cannot connect to D-Bus: %w", err)
 	}
 	defer conn.Close()
 
diff --git a/filebeat/input/journald/input_test.go b/filebeat/input/journald/input_test.go
index fc4c0796a820..8b4af9dd2003 100644
--- a/filebeat/input/journald/input_test.go
+++ b/filebeat/input/journald/input_test.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"path"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -31,9 +30,14 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
+	// We use TestMain because all of our current (May 2024) supported Linux
+	// distributions ship with a version of Systemd that will cause Filebeat
+	// input to crash when the journal reached the maximum number of files and
+	// a new rotation happens. To allow the Journald input to be instantiated
+	// we need to set a CLI flag and that needs to be done before all tests run.
 	flag.Parse()
 	noVersionCheck = true
-	os.Exit(m.Run())
+	m.Run()
 }
 
 func TestInputFieldsTranslation(t *testing.T) {
@@ -93,7 +97,7 @@ func TestInputFieldsTranslation(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestParseJournaldVersion(t *testing.T) {
+func TestParseSystemdVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	foo := map[string]struct {
 		data     string
 		expected int
@@ -110,6 +114,14 @@ func TestParseJournaldVersion(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: 249,
 			data:     `249.11-0ubuntu3.12`,
 		},
+		"Debain 10": {
+			expected: 241,
+			data:     "241",
+		},
+		"Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8": {
+			expected: 239,
+			data:     "239 (239-78.el8)",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for name, tc := range foo {
diff --git a/x-pack/filebeat/magefile.go b/x-pack/filebeat/magefile.go
index e5b809f3abfa..93b6ce41a754 100644
--- a/x-pack/filebeat/magefile.go
+++ b/x-pack/filebeat/magefile.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 
 	devtools "github.com/elastic/beats/v7/dev-tools/mage"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/dev-tools/mage/target/build"
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/dev-tools/mage/target/unittest"
 	filebeat "github.com/elastic/beats/v7/filebeat/scripts/mage"
 
 	//mage:import
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 func init() {
 	common.RegisterCheckDeps(Update)
 	test.RegisterDeps(IntegTest)
+	unittest.RegisterGoTestDeps(TestJournaldInput)
 
 	devtools.BeatDescription = "Filebeat sends log files to Logstash or directly to Elasticsearch."
 	devtools.BeatLicense = "Elastic License"
@@ -191,9 +193,9 @@ func PythonIntegTest(ctx context.Context) error {
 // TestJournald executes the Journald input tests
 // Use TEST_COVERAGE=true to enable code coverage profiling.
 // Use RACE_DETECTOR=true to enable the race detector.
-func TestJournald(ctx context.Context) error {
+func TestJournaldInput(ctx context.Context) error {
 	utArgs := devtools.DefaultGoTestUnitArgs()
-	utArgs.Packages = []string{"./input/journald"}
+	utArgs.Packages = []string{"../../filebeat/input/journald"}
 	if devtools.Platform.GOOS == "linux" {
 		utArgs.ExtraFlags = append(utArgs.ExtraFlags, "-tags=withjournald")
 	}