diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/systemd_user_dep_fixes.yml b/changelogs/fragments/systemd_user_dep_fixes.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b845d49369d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/systemd_user_dep_fixes.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+    - corrected and clarified 'user' option deprecation in systemd module in favor of 'scope' option.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/system/systemd.py b/lib/ansible/modules/system/systemd.py
index 5ddc881f8e8..37a9e55a958 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/system/systemd.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/system/systemd.py
@@ -50,8 +50,9 @@ options:
         aliases: [ daemon-reload ]
     user:
         description:
-            - run systemctl talking to the service manager of the calling user, rather than the service manager
-              of the system. This is deprecated and the scope paramater should be used instead.
+            - (deprecated) run ``systemctl`` talking to the service manager of the calling user, rather than the service manager
+              of the system.
+            - This option is deprecated and will eventually be removed in 2.11. The ``scope`` option should be used instead.
         type: bool
         default: 'no'
     scope:
@@ -305,26 +306,37 @@ def main():
             force=dict(type='bool'),
             masked=dict(type='bool'),
             daemon_reload=dict(type='bool', default=False, aliases=['daemon-reload']),
-            user=dict(type='bool', default=False),
-            scope=dict(type='str', default='system', choices=['system', 'user', 'global']),
+            user=dict(type='bool'),
+            scope=dict(type='str', choices=['system', 'user', 'global']),
             no_block=dict(type='bool', default=False),
         ),
         supports_check_mode=True,
         required_one_of=[['state', 'enabled', 'masked', 'daemon_reload']],
+        mutually_exclusive=[['scope', 'user']],
     )
 
     systemctl = module.get_bin_path('systemctl', True)
-    if module.params['user'] and module.params['scope'] == 'system':
-        module.deprecate("The 'user' paramater is being renamed to 'scope'", version=2.8)
-        systemctl = systemctl + " --user"
-    if module.params['scope'] == 'user':
-        systemctl = systemctl + " --user"
-    if module.params['scope'] == 'global':
-        systemctl = systemctl + " --global"
+
+    ''' Set CLI options depending on params '''
+    if module.params['user'] is not None:
+        # handle user deprecation, mutually exclusive with scope
+        module.deprecate("The 'user' option is being replaced by 'scope'", version='2.11')
+        if module.params['user']:
+            module.params['scope'] = 'user'
+        else:
+            module.params['scope'] = 'system'
+
+    # if scope is 'system' or None, we can ignore as there is no extra switch.
+    # The other choices match the corresponding switch
+    if module.params['scope'] not in (None, 'system'):
+        systemctl += " --%s" % module.params['scope']
+
     if module.params['no_block']:
-        systemctl = systemctl + " --no-block"
+        systemctl += " --no-block"
+
     if module.params['force']:
-        systemctl = systemctl + " --force"
+        systemctl += " --force"
+
     unit = module.params['name']
     rc = 0
     out = err = ''
diff --git a/test/sanity/validate-modules/ignore.txt b/test/sanity/validate-modules/ignore.txt
index 122b32b0f01..092d17d6b58 100644
--- a/test/sanity/validate-modules/ignore.txt
+++ b/test/sanity/validate-modules/ignore.txt
@@ -1137,6 +1137,7 @@ lib/ansible/modules/system/selinux_permissive.py E322
 lib/ansible/modules/system/seport.py E324
 lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py E323
 lib/ansible/modules/system/service.py E210
+lib/ansible/modules/system/systemd.py E324
 lib/ansible/modules/system/solaris_zone.py E324
 lib/ansible/modules/system/svc.py E322
 lib/ansible/modules/system/svc.py E324