diff --git a/activation/filesmethod.go b/activation/filesmethod.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..98f237aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activation/filesmethod.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+// Copyright 2015 CoreOS, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package activation
+
+// Method decides what happens to the file descriptors that are passed in by systemd.
+type Method int
+
+const (
+	// ConsumeFiles is the default, and removes the original file descriptors passed in by
+	// systemd. This means that new file descriptors created by the program may use the
+	// file descriptors indices.
+	ConsumeFiles Method = iota
+
+	// ReserveFiles stores placeholder file descriptors, which point to /dev/null. This
+	// stops new file descriptors consuming the indices.
+	ReserveFiles
+
+	// CloneFiles duplicates and leaves the original file descriptors in tack. This
+	// stops new file descriptors consuming the indices like [ReserveFiles] but
+	// consider the possible secuirty risk of leaving the sockets exposed.
+	ConserveFiles
+)
diff --git a/activation/filesmethod_unix.go b/activation/filesmethod_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6b5c9628
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activation/filesmethod_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// Copyright 2015 CoreOS, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+//go:build !windows
+
+package activation
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+func (m Method) Apply(f *os.File) error {
+	saveFd := int(f.Fd()) // get the idx before being closed.
+
+	switch m {
+	case ConsumeFiles:
+		return f.Close()
+	case ReserveFiles:
+		devNull, err := os.OpenFile(os.DevNull, os.O_RDWR, 0o666)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errorDevNullSetup{err: err, fd: saveFd}
+		}
+
+		nullFd := int(devNull.Fd())
+
+		// "If oldfd equals newfd, then dup3() fails with the error EINVAL."
+		if saveFd == nullFd {
+			syscall.CloseOnExec(nullFd)
+		} else {
+			// "makes newfd be the copy of oldfd, closing newfd first if necessary"
+			if err := syscall.Dup3(nullFd, saveFd, syscall.O_CLOEXEC); err != nil {
+				devNull.Close() // on an error tidy up.
+
+				return errorDevNullSetup{err: err, fd: saveFd}
+			}
+		}
+	case ConserveFiles:
+		// no action
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+type errorDevNullSetup struct {
+	fd  int
+	err error
+}
+
+func (e errorDevNullSetup) Error() string {
+	return "setting up " + strconv.Itoa(e.fd) + " fd to /dev/null: " + e.err.Error()
+}
+
+func (e errorDevNullSetup) Unwrap() error {
+	return e.err
+}
diff --git a/activation/filesmethod_windows.go b/activation/filesmethod_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..58119eae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activation/filesmethod_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// Copyright 2015 CoreOS, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package activation
+
+import "os"
+
+func (m Method) Apply(f *os.File) error {
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/activation/listeners.go b/activation/listeners.go
index 108562bf..1d4aecb6 100644
--- a/activation/listeners.go
+++ b/activation/listeners.go
@@ -26,37 +26,37 @@ import (
 // Nil values are used to fill any gaps. For example if systemd were to return file descriptors
 // corresponding with "udp, tcp, tcp", then the slice would contain {nil, net.Listener, net.Listener}
 func Listeners() ([]net.Listener, error) {
-	files := Files(true)
-	listeners := make([]net.Listener, len(files))
-
-	for i, f := range files {
-		if pc, err := net.FileListener(f); err == nil {
-			listeners[i] = pc
-			f.Close()
-		}
-	}
-	return listeners, nil
+	return ListenersWithOptions()
 }
 
 // ListenersWithNames maps a listener name to a set of net.Listener instances.
 func ListenersWithNames() (map[string][]net.Listener, error) {
-	files := Files(true)
-	listeners := map[string][]net.Listener{}
-
-	for _, f := range files {
-		if pc, err := net.FileListener(f); err == nil {
-			listeners[f.Name()] = append(listeners[f.Name()], pc)
-			f.Close()
-		}
-	}
-	return listeners, nil
+	return ListenersWithNamesWithOptions()
 }
 
 // TLSListeners returns a slice containing a net.listener for each matching TCP socket type
 // passed to this process.
 // It uses default Listeners func and forces TCP sockets handlers to use TLS based on tlsConfig.
 func TLSListeners(tlsConfig *tls.Config) ([]net.Listener, error) {
-	listeners, err := Listeners()
+	return TLSListenersWithOptions(tlsConfig)
+}
+
+// TLSListenersWithNames maps a listener name to a net.Listener with
+// the associated TLS configuration.
+func TLSListenersWithNames(tlsConfig *tls.Config) (map[string][]net.Listener, error) {
+	return TLSListenersWithNamesWithOptions(tlsConfig)
+}
+
+// TLSListenersWithOptions returns a slice containing a net.Listener for each matching TCP socket type
+// passed to this process.
+// It uses ListenersWithOptions func and forces TCP sockets handlers to use TLS based on tlsConfig.
+//
+//   - The socket activation file descriptors are consumed and closed by default. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UseMethod] option. See [Method] for more details.
+//   - Unsetting the corresponding environment variables is the default behavior. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UnsetEnv] option.
+func TLSListenersWithOptions(tlsConfig *tls.Config, opts ...option) ([]net.Listener, error) {
+	listeners, err := ListenersWithOptions(opts...)
 
 	if listeners == nil || err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -74,10 +74,15 @@ func TLSListeners(tlsConfig *tls.Config) ([]net.Listener, error) {
 	return listeners, err
 }
 
-// TLSListenersWithNames maps a listener name to a net.Listener with
+// TLSListenersWithNamesWithOptions maps a listener name to a net.Listener with
 // the associated TLS configuration.
-func TLSListenersWithNames(tlsConfig *tls.Config) (map[string][]net.Listener, error) {
-	listeners, err := ListenersWithNames()
+//
+//   - The socket activation file descriptors are consumed and closed by default. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UseMethod] option. See [Method] for more details.
+//   - Unsetting the corresponding environment variables is the default behavior. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UnsetEnv] option.
+func TLSListenersWithNamesWithOptions(tlsConfig *tls.Config, opts ...option) (map[string][]net.Listener, error) {
+	listeners, err := ListenersWithNamesWithOptions(opts...)
 
 	if listeners == nil || err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -96,3 +101,52 @@ func TLSListenersWithNames(tlsConfig *tls.Config) (map[string][]net.Listener, er
 
 	return listeners, err
 }
+
+// ListenersWithOptions returns a slice containing a net.Listener for each matching socket type
+// passed to this process.
+//
+//   - The socket activation file descriptors are consumed and closed by default. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UseMethod] option. See [Method] for more details.
+//   - Unsetting the corresponding environment variables is the default behavior. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UnsetEnv] option.
+func ListenersWithOptions(opts ...option) ([]net.Listener, error) {
+	o := options{unsetEnv: true}
+	o.apply(opts...)
+
+	files := Files(o.unsetEnv)
+	listeners := make([]net.Listener, len(files))
+
+	for i, f := range files {
+		if pc, err := net.FileListener(f); err == nil {
+			listeners[i] = pc
+
+			o.method.Apply(f)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return listeners, nil
+}
+
+// ListenersWithNamesWithOptions maps a listener name to a set of net.Listener instances.
+//
+//   - The socket activation file descriptors are consumed and closed by default. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UseMethod] option. See [Method] for more details.
+//   - Unsetting the corresponding environment variables is the default behavior. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UnsetEnv] option.
+func ListenersWithNamesWithOptions(opts ...option) (map[string][]net.Listener, error) {
+	o := options{unsetEnv: true}
+	o.apply(opts...)
+
+	files := Files(o.unsetEnv)
+	listeners := map[string][]net.Listener{}
+
+	for _, f := range files {
+		if pc, err := net.FileListener(f); err == nil {
+			listeners[f.Name()] = append(listeners[f.Name()], pc)
+
+			o.method.Apply(f)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return listeners, nil
+}
diff --git a/activation/options.go b/activation/options.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5d37bad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activation/options.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+// Copyright 2015 CoreOS, Inc.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package activation
+
+type options struct {
+	unsetEnv bool
+	method   Method
+}
+
+// apply applies option functions to the options struct.
+func (o *options) apply(opts ...option) {
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(o)
+	}
+}
+
+type option func(*options)
+
+// UnsetEnv controls if the LISTEN_PID, LISTEN_FDS & LISTEN_FDNAMES environment
+// variables are unset.
+//
+// This is useful to avoid clashes in fd usage and to avoid leaking environment
+// flags to child processes.
+func UnsetEnv(f bool) option {
+	return func(o *options) {
+		o.unsetEnv = f
+	}
+}
+
+// UseMethod chooses the [Method] applied to the file descriptor passed in by
+// systemd socket activation.
+func UseMethod(m Method) option {
+	return func(o *options) {
+		o.method = m
+	}
+}
diff --git a/activation/packetconns.go b/activation/packetconns.go
index a9720678..96a1550d 100644
--- a/activation/packetconns.go
+++ b/activation/packetconns.go
@@ -25,13 +25,28 @@ import (
 // Nil values are used to fill any gaps. For example if systemd were to return file descriptors
 // corresponding with "udp, tcp, udp", then the slice would contain {net.PacketConn, nil, net.PacketConn}
 func PacketConns() ([]net.PacketConn, error) {
-	files := Files(true)
+	return PacketConnsWithOptions(UnsetEnv(true))
+}
+
+// PacketConnsWithOptions returns a slice containing a net.PacketConn for each matching socket type
+// passed to this process.
+//
+//   - The socket activation file descriptors are consumed and closed by default. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UseMethod] option. See [Method] for more details.
+//   - Unsetting the corresponding environment variables is the default behavior. This
+//     can be changed by passing in the [UnsetEnv] option.
+func PacketConnsWithOptions(opts ...option) ([]net.PacketConn, error) {
+	o := options{unsetEnv: true}
+	o.apply(opts...)
+
+	files := Files(o.unsetEnv)
 	conns := make([]net.PacketConn, len(files))
 
 	for i, f := range files {
 		if pc, err := net.FilePacketConn(f); err == nil {
 			conns[i] = pc
-			f.Close()
+
+			o.method.Apply(f)
 		}
 	}
 	return conns, nil