diff --git a/pkg/systemd/generate/containers.go b/pkg/systemd/generate/containers.go
index 7b1e221c8c..db641c70de 100644
--- a/pkg/systemd/generate/containers.go
+++ b/pkg/systemd/generate/containers.go
@@ -144,6 +144,10 @@ func generateContainerInfo(ctr *libpod.Container, options entities.GenerateSyste
 	}
 
 	config := ctr.Config()
+	if len(config.InitContainerType) > 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported container %s: cannot generate systemd units for init containers", ctr.ID())
+	}
+
 	conmonPidFile := config.ConmonPidFile
 	if conmonPidFile == "" {
 		return nil, errors.New("conmon PID file path is empty, try to recreate the container with --conmon-pidfile flag")
diff --git a/pkg/systemd/generate/pods.go b/pkg/systemd/generate/pods.go
index bdc7c34d8f..94cebccbbf 100644
--- a/pkg/systemd/generate/pods.go
+++ b/pkg/systemd/generate/pods.go
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ func PodUnits(pod *libpod.Pod, options entities.GenerateSystemdOptions) (map[str
 		if ctr.ID() == infraID {
 			continue
 		}
+
 		ctrInfo, err := generateContainerInfo(ctr, options)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
diff --git a/test/e2e/generate_systemd_test.go b/test/e2e/generate_systemd_test.go
index b3cc35d1cb..b984a6ed5b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/generate_systemd_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/generate_systemd_test.go
@@ -215,6 +215,22 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman generate systemd", func() {
 		Expect(strings.Count(output, "RequiresMountsFor="+podmanTest.RunRoot)).To(Equal(3))
 		// The podman commands in the unit should not contain the root flags
 		Expect(output).ToNot(ContainSubstring(" --runroot"))
+
+		// Generating pod/container units for an init container is not
+		// supported (see #18585).
+		n = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"create", "--pod", "foo", "--init-ctr", "always", "--name", "foo-init", "alpine", "top"})
+		n.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(n).Should(Exit(0))
+		// Fail for the pod
+		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"generate", "systemd", "foo"})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(session.ErrorToString()).To(ContainSubstring("cannot generate systemd units for init containers"))
+		// Fail for the init container
+		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"generate", "systemd", "foo-init"})
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(Exit(125))
+		Expect(session.ErrorToString()).To(ContainSubstring("cannot generate systemd units for init containers"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman generate systemd pod --name --files", func() {