diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 18b234e5..cc340c17 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ cli_srv_conn
 cli_srv_comm
 gssproxy.spec
 interposetest
+userproxytest
 gssproxy.service
 gssuserproxy.service
 gssuserproxy.socket
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e7210e9d..42d37227 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -370,6 +370,10 @@ CLEANFILES = *.X */*.X */*/*.X \
 
 check: all $(check_PROGRAMS)
 	$(srcdir)/tests/runtests.py $(CHECKARGS)
+if HAVE_SYSTEMD_DAEMON
+	mkdir -p testdir
+	tests/userproxytest
+endif
 
 tests: check
 
diff --git a/external/systemd.m4 b/external/systemd.m4
index 8b7e8c1f..4d5d737b 100644
--- a/external/systemd.m4
+++ b/external/systemd.m4
@@ -23,4 +23,6 @@ AC_DEFUN([AM_CHECK_SYSTEMD],
               [AC_MSG_NOTICE([Build without $daemon_lib_name support])])],
           [AC_MSG_NOTICE([Build without $daemon_lib_name support])])
 
+    AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_SYSTEMD_DAEMON], [test x"$daemon_lib_name" != x])
+    AC_MSG_NOTICE([Will enable systemd socket activation])
 ])
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index d6924d90..3ea5b12b 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ check_PROGRAMS = \
     t_setcredopt \
     $(NULL)
 
+if HAVE_SYSTEMD_DAEMON
+userproxytest_SOURCES = \
+    userproxytest.c
+
+    check_PROGRAMS += userproxytest
+endif
+
 noinst_PROGRAMS = $(check_PROGRAMS)
 
 noinst_HEADERS = \
diff --git a/tests/userproxytest.c b/tests/userproxytest.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ad6b2a46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/userproxytest.c
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+/* Copyright (C) 2022 the GSS-PROXY contributors, see COPYING for license */
+
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <sys/un.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+char *srv_args[] = {
+    "./gssproxy",
+    "-u", "-i",
+    "-s", "./testdir/userproxytest.sock",
+    "--idle-timeout=3"
+};
+
+int mock_activation_sockets(void)
+{
+    struct sockaddr_un addr = {
+        .sun_family = AF_UNIX,
+        .sun_path = "./testdir/userproxytest.sock",
+    };
+    int fd;
+    int ret;
+
+    unlink(addr.sun_path);
+
+    fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+    if (fd == -1) return -1;
+
+    ret = bind(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, sizeof(addr));
+    if (ret == -1) return -1;
+
+    ret = listen(fd, 1);
+    if (ret == -1) return -1;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int mock_activation_environment(void)
+{
+    char *onestr = "1";
+    char *pidstr;
+    int ret;
+
+    ret = asprintf(&pidstr, "%u", (unsigned)getpid());
+    if (ret == -1) return -1;
+
+    setenv("LISTEN_PID", pidstr, 1);
+    setenv("LISTEN_FDS", onestr, 1);
+
+    free(pidstr);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int main(int argc, const char *main_argv[])
+{
+    pid_t proxy, w;
+    int ret;
+
+    fprintf(stderr, "Test userproxy mode: ");
+
+    ret = mock_activation_sockets();
+    if (ret) return -1;
+
+    proxy = fork();
+    if (proxy == -1) return -1;
+
+    if (proxy == 0) {
+        ret = mock_activation_environment();
+        if (ret) return -1;
+
+        execv("./gssproxy", srv_args);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    sleep(6);
+
+    w = waitpid(-1, &ret, WNOHANG);
+    if (w != proxy || ret != 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "FAIL\n");
+        fflush(stderr);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    fprintf(stderr, "SUCCESS\n");
+    fflush(stderr);
+    return 0;
+}