diff --git a/manifests/compute/libvirt/version.pp b/manifests/compute/libvirt/version.pp
index c6494ff50..f89e9bfc1 100644
--- a/manifests/compute/libvirt/version.pp
+++ b/manifests/compute/libvirt/version.pp
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ class nova::compute::libvirt::version {
     'RedHat': {
       case $facts['os']['name'] {
         'RedHat', 'CentOS': {
-          if versioncmp($facts['os']['release']['full'], '7.6') >= 0 {
+          if versioncmp($facts['os']['release']['full'], '8.1') >= 0 {
+            $default = '5.6'
+          } elsif versioncmp($facts['os']['release']['full'], '7.6') >= 0 {
             $default = '4.5'
           } else {
             $default = '3.9'
diff --git a/manifests/migration/libvirt.pp b/manifests/migration/libvirt.pp
index f7f75c41a..28ef2805b 100644
--- a/manifests/migration/libvirt.pp
+++ b/manifests/migration/libvirt.pp
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@
 #   "transport" option.
 #   Defaults to undef
 #
+# [*libvirt_version*]
+#   (optional) installed libvirt version. Default is automatic detected depending
+#   of the used OS installed via ::nova::compute::libvirt::version::default .
+#   Defaults to ::nova::compute::libvirt::version::default
+#
 class nova::migration::libvirt(
   $transport                         = undef,
   $auth                              = 'none',
@@ -105,7 +110,8 @@ class nova::migration::libvirt(
   $client_extraparams                = {},
   $ca_file                           = undef,
   $crl_file                          = undef,
-){
+  $libvirt_version                   = $::nova::compute::libvirt::version::default,
+) inherits nova::compute::libvirt::version {
 
   include ::nova::deps
 
@@ -233,12 +239,37 @@ class nova::migration::libvirt(
 
     case $::osfamily {
       'RedHat': {
-        if $transport_real != 'ssh' {
-          file_line { '/etc/sysconfig/libvirtd libvirtd args':
-            path  => '/etc/sysconfig/libvirtd',
-            line  => 'LIBVIRTD_ARGS="--listen"',
-            match => '^LIBVIRTD_ARGS=',
-            tag   => 'libvirt-file_line',
+        if versioncmp($libvirt_version, '5.6') >= 0 {
+          $manage_services = pick($::nova::compute::libvirt::manage_libvirt_services, true)
+
+          if $manage_services {
+            if $transport_real == 'tls' {
+              service { 'libvirtd-tls':
+                ensure  => 'running',
+                name    => 'libvirtd-tls.socket',
+                enable  => true,
+                require => Anchor['nova::config::end']
+              }
+              Service['libvirtd-tls'] -> Service<| title == 'libvirt' |>
+            } elsif $transport_real == 'tcp' {
+              service { 'libvirtd-tcp':
+                ensure  => 'running',
+                name    => 'libvirtd-tcp.socket',
+                enable  => true,
+                require => Anchor['nova::config::end']
+              }
+              Service['libvirtd-tcp'] -> Service<| title == 'libvirt' |>
+            }
+          }
+
+        } else {
+          if $transport_real != 'ssh' {
+            file_line { '/etc/sysconfig/libvirtd libvirtd args':
+              path  => '/etc/sysconfig/libvirtd',
+              line  => 'LIBVIRTD_ARGS="--listen"',
+              match => '^LIBVIRTD_ARGS=',
+              tag   => 'libvirt-file_line',
+            }
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/libvirt-systemd-socket-units-f7b0fc3a4f3c5219.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/libvirt-systemd-socket-units-f7b0fc3a4f3c5219.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e112d9c26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/libvirt-systemd-socket-units-f7b0fc3a4f3c5219.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+features:
+  - |
+    Now puppet-nova supports configuration of libvirtd-tls.socket and
+    libvirtd-tcp.socket, which should be enabled according to the transport
+    protocol when libvirt is running under systemd. This feature is enforced
+    since libvirt v5.8.
diff --git a/spec/classes/nova_migration_libvirt_spec.rb b/spec/classes/nova_migration_libvirt_spec.rb
index 69d80ced4..6f1b542d0 100644
--- a/spec/classes/nova_migration_libvirt_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/nova_migration_libvirt_spec.rb
@@ -239,6 +239,36 @@ describe 'nova::migration::libvirt' do
 
   end
 
+  shared_examples_for 'nova migration with libvirt in Debian' do
+    it { is_expected.to contain_file_line('/etc/default/libvirtd libvirtd opts').with(:line => 'libvirtd_opts="-l"') }
+  end
+
+  shared_examples_for 'nova migration with libvirt in RedHat' do
+    context 'with tls transport' do
+      let(:params) do
+        { :transport => 'tls' }
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.to contain_service('libvirtd-tls').with(
+        :name   => 'libvirtd-tls.socket',
+        :ensure => 'running',
+        :enable => true,
+        )}
+    end
+
+    context 'with tls transport' do
+      let(:params) do
+        { :transport => 'tcp' }
+      end
+
+      it { is_expected.to contain_service('libvirtd-tcp').with(
+        :name   => 'libvirtd-tcp.socket',
+        :ensure => 'running',
+        :enable => true,
+        )}
+    end
+  end
+
   on_supported_os({
     :supported_os => OSDefaults.get_supported_os
   }).each do |os,facts|
@@ -247,15 +277,6 @@ describe 'nova::migration::libvirt' do
         facts.merge!(OSDefaults.get_facts({ :os_workers => 5 }))
       end
 
-      let (:platform_params) do
-        case facts[:osfamily]
-        when 'Debian'
-            it { is_expected.to contain_file_line('/etc/default/libvirtd libvirtd opts').with(:line => 'libvirtd_opts="-l"') }
-        when 'RedHat'
-            it { is_expected.to contain_file_line('/etc/sysconfig/libvirtd libvirtd args').with(:line => 'LIBVIRTD_ARGS="--listen"') }
-        end
-      end
-
       it_configures 'nova migration with libvirt'
     end
   end