diff --git a/app/flatpak-main.c b/app/flatpak-main.c
index 23979327..7ffa1be5 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-main.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-main.c
@@ -601,6 +601,11 @@ install_polkit_agent (void)
   PolkitAgentListener *listener = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GError) local_error = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GDBusConnection) bus = NULL;
+  const char *on_session;
+
+  on_session = g_getenv ("FLATPAK_SYSTEM_HELPER_ON_SESSION");
+  if (on_session != NULL)
+    return NULL;
 
   bus = g_bus_get_sync (G_BUS_TYPE_SYSTEM, NULL, &local_error);