diff --git a/SPECS-SIGNED/systemd-boot-signed/systemd-boot-signed.spec b/SPECS-SIGNED/systemd-boot-signed/systemd-boot-signed.spec
index 73238100e8d..36b0416ffdf 100644
--- a/SPECS-SIGNED/systemd-boot-signed/systemd-boot-signed.spec
+++ b/SPECS-SIGNED/systemd-boot-signed/systemd-boot-signed.spec
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Version:        255
 # determine the build information from local checkout
 Version:        %(tools/meson-vcs-tag.sh . error | sed -r 's/-([0-9])/.^\1/; s/-g/_g/')
 %endif
-Release:        34%{?dist}
+Release:        35%{?dist}
 License:        LGPL-2.1-or-later AND MIT AND GPL-2.0-or-later
 Vendor:         Microsoft Corporation
 Distribution:   Azure Linux
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ popd
 /boot/efi/EFI/BOOT/%{grubefiname}
 
 %changelog
+* Thu Sep 10 2026 Pawel Winogrodzki <pawelwi@microsoft.com> - 255-35
+- Bump release to match the systemd spec.
+
 * Mon Aug 17 2026 Aditya Singh <v-aditysing@microsoft.com> - 255-34
 - Bump release to match systemd spec.
 
diff --git a/SPECS/systemd/systemd-fsck-wants-device.patch b/SPECS/systemd/systemd-fsck-wants-device.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9a36f64d6e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SPECS/systemd/systemd-fsck-wants-device.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+Use Wants instead of BindsTo for the generated initrd root filesystem
+checker and the static systemd-fsck@ template. Keep their After ordering
+so initial device discovery still precedes the filesystem check.
+
+This experimental alternative avoids stopping the checker solely because
+udev temporarily withdraws its filesystem UUID alias. It adds no device
+locks and leaves sysroot.mount dependencies and its UUID-based source
+unchanged. The generated systemd-fsck-usr.service retains BindsTo.
+
+Wants does not propagate device activation failure or automatically stop
+the checker on device removal. This change also does not restore a
+missing UUID link or retry a failed root mount.
+
+Related issue: https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/43695
+
+diff --git a/src/shared/generator.c b/src/shared/generator.c
+--- a/src/shared/generator.c
++++ b/src/shared/generator.c
+@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ static int write_fsck_sysroot_service(
+                 "Documentation=man:%2$s(8)\n"
+                 "\n"
+                 "DefaultDependencies=no\n"
+-                "BindsTo=%3$s\n"
++                "%7$s=%3$s\n"
+                 "Conflicts=shutdown.target\n"
+                 "After=%4$s%5$slocal-fs-pre.target %3$s\n"
+                 "Before=shutdown.target\n"
+@@ -240,7 +240,8 @@ static int write_fsck_sysroot_service(
+                 device,
+                 strempty(extra_after),
+                 isempty(extra_after) ? "" : " ",
+-                escaped2);
++                escaped2,
++                streq(unit, SPECIAL_FSCK_ROOT_SERVICE) ? "Wants" : "BindsTo");
+
+         r = fflush_and_check(f);
+         if (r < 0)
+diff --git a/units/systemd-fsck@.service.in b/units/systemd-fsck@.service.in
+--- a/units/systemd-fsck@.service.in
++++ b/units/systemd-fsck@.service.in
+@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
+ Description=File System Check on %f
+ Documentation=man:systemd-fsck@.service(8)
+ DefaultDependencies=no
+-BindsTo=%i.device
++Wants=%i.device
+ Conflicts=shutdown.target
+ After=%i.device systemd-fsck-root.service local-fs-pre.target
+ Before=systemd-quotacheck.service shutdown.target
diff --git a/SPECS/systemd/systemd.spec b/SPECS/systemd/systemd.spec
index bc46e768f95..86282e416da 100644
--- a/SPECS/systemd/systemd.spec
+++ b/SPECS/systemd/systemd.spec
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ Version:        255
 # determine the build information from local checkout
 Version:        %(tools/meson-vcs-tag.sh . error | sed -r 's/-([0-9])/.^\1/; s/-g/_g/')
 %endif
-Release:        34%{?dist}
+Release:        35%{?dist}
 
 # FIXME - hardcode to 'stable' for now as that's what we have in our blobstore
 %global stable 1
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ Patch0913:      network-also-check-ID_NET_MANAGED_BY-property-on-rec.patch
 Patch0914:      Prevent-corruption-from-stale-alias-state-on-daemon-reload.patch
 Patch0915:      CVE-2026-15059.patch
 Patch0916:      CVE-2026-16742.patch
+Patch0917:      systemd-fsck-wants-device.patch
 
 %ifarch %{ix86} x86_64 aarch64
 %global want_bootloader 1
@@ -1259,6 +1260,10 @@ rm -f %{name}.lang
 # %autochangelog. So we need to continue manually maintaining the
 # changelog here.
 %changelog
+* Thu Sep 10 2026 Pawel Winogrodzki <pawelwi@microsoft.com> - 255-35
+- Use Wants for the generated root filesystem checker and the fsck service
+  template device dependencies.
+
 * Thu Aug 13 2026 Azure Linux Security Servicing Account <azurelinux-security@microsoft.com> - 255-34
 - Patch for CVE-2026-16742, CVE-2026-15059