diff --git a/gnu/packages/admin.scm b/gnu/packages/admin.scm
index 3a250eeaa8..6b26da7316 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/admin.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/admin.scm
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
   #:use-module (guix packages)
   #:use-module (guix utils)
   #:use-module (guix download)
+  #:use-module ((guix gexp) #:select (local-file))
   #:use-module (guix git-download)
   #:use-module (guix build-system cmake)
   #:use-module (guix build-system emacs)
@@ -192,6 +193,7 @@ and provides a \"top-like\" mode (monitoring).")
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (arguments
      '(#:configure-flags '("--localstatedir=/var")))
+    (replacement shepherd-next)
     (native-inputs
      `(("pkg-config" ,pkg-config)
 
@@ -214,6 +216,12 @@ interface and is based on GNU Guile.")
     (home-page "https://www.gnu.org/software/shepherd/")
     (properties '((ftp-server . "alpha.gnu.org")))))
 
+(define-public shepherd-next
+  (package
+    (inherit shepherd)
+    (version "0.5.1")
+    (source (local-file "/data/src/shepherd/shepherd-0.6.0-pre1.tar.gz"))))
+
 (define-public daemontools
   (package
     (name "daemontools")
diff --git a/gnu/services/shepherd.scm b/gnu/services/shepherd.scm
index 12d649f542..cf7e64a783 100644
--- a/gnu/services/shepherd.scm
+++ b/gnu/services/shepherd.scm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
-;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2017 Clément Lassieur <clement@lassieur.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2018 Carlo Zancanaro <carlo@zancanaro.id.au>
 ;;;
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
             shepherd-service-provision
             shepherd-service-canonical-name
             shepherd-service-requirement
+            shepherd-service-one-shot?
             shepherd-service-respawn?
             shepherd-service-start
             shepherd-service-stop
@@ -149,6 +150,8 @@ DEFAULT is given, use it as the service's default value."
   (provision     shepherd-service-provision)           ;list of symbols
   (requirement   shepherd-service-requirement          ;list of symbols
                  (default '()))
+  (one-shot?     shepherd-service-one-shot?            ;Boolean
+                 (default #f))
   (respawn?      shepherd-service-respawn?             ;Boolean
                  (default #t))
   (start         shepherd-service-start)               ;g-expression (procedure)
@@ -238,6 +241,7 @@ stored."
                        #:docstring '#$(shepherd-service-documentation service)
                        #:provides '#$(shepherd-service-provision service)
                        #:requires '#$(shepherd-service-requirement service)
+                       #:one-shot? '#$(shepherd-service-one-shot? service)
                        #:respawn? '#$(shepherd-service-respawn? service)
                        #:start #$(shepherd-service-start service)
                        #:stop #$(shepherd-service-stop service)
diff --git a/gnu/system/shadow.scm b/gnu/system/shadow.scm
index 7dc36f4a45..13b8b14095 100644
--- a/gnu/system/shadow.scm
+++ b/gnu/system/shadow.scm
@@ -323,6 +323,7 @@ accounts among ACCOUNTS+GROUPS."
   (list (shepherd-service
          (requirement '(file-systems))
          (provision '(user-homes))
+         (one-shot? #t)
          (modules '((gnu build activation)
                     (gnu system accounts)))
          (start (with-imported-modules (source-module-closure
@@ -332,9 +333,7 @@ accounts among ACCOUNTS+GROUPS."
                       (activate-user-home
                        (map sexp->user-account
                             (list #$@(map user-account->gexp accounts))))
-                      #f)))                       ;stop
-         (stop #~(const #f))
-         (respawn? #f)
+                      #t)))                       ;success
          (documentation "Create user home directories."))))
 
 (define (shells-file shells)