Description of problem:

The https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/9/html/configuring_basic_system_settings/working-with-systemd-targets_configuring-basic-system-settings#proc_booting-to-emergency-mode_working-with-systemd-targets section says

To change the current target and enter emergency mode:

1. systemctl emergency

However, this does not seem to work on RHEL 9.0.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

systemd-250-6.el9_0.x86_64

How reproducible:

Deterministic.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Have a virtual machine with RHEL 9 installation with just the @core group.
2. Connect to it using virsh console $domain and log in as root.
3. Run

1. systemctl emergency

Actual results:

[ 86.459553] audit: type=1305 audit(1654160963.601:118): op=set audit_pid=0 old=562 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:auditd_t:s0 res=1
[ 86.460895] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160963.603:119): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=auditd comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 86.463833] audit: type=1130 audit(1654160963.606:120): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=dracut-shutdown comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 86.466083] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160963.608:121): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=firewalld comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 86.699911] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160963.842:122): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=rsyslog comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 111.446540] audit: type=1106 audit(1654160988.587:123): pid=747 uid=0 auid=0 ses=3 subj=system_u:system_r:local_login_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 msg='op=PAM:session_close grantors=? acct="root" exe="/usr/bin/login" hostname=localhost.localdomain addr=? terminal=/dev/ttyS0 res=failed'
[ 111.452869] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160988.594:124): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=serial-getty@ttyS0 comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 111.462168] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160988.603:125): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-user-sessions comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 111.480012] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160988.621:126): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=NetworkManager comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 111.487001] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160988.628:127): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=dbus-broker comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 111.493977] audit: type=1334 audit(1654160988.632:128): prog-id=38 op=LOAD
[ 111.494686] audit: type=1334 audit(1654160988.632:129): prog-id=39 op=LOAD
[ 111.495402] audit: type=1334 audit(1654160988.632:130): prog-id=40 op=LOAD
[ 111.496106] audit: type=1334 audit(1654160988.632:131): prog-id=27 op=UNLOAD
[ 111.497006] audit: type=1334 audit(1654160988.632:132): prog-id=28 op=UNLOAD
[ 121.527192] kauditd_printk_skb: 22 callbacks suppressed
[ 121.527196] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160998.666:149): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=NetworkManager-dispatcher comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 121.534680] audit: type=1104 audit(1654160998.674:150): pid=816 uid=0 auid=0 ses=5 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=? acct="root" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=failed'
[ 121.535960] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160998.675:151): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=user@0 comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 121.542326] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160998.682:152): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=user-runtime-dir@0 comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'

[ ... and nothing else happens (I gave it for 15 minutes) ... ]

Expected results:

[ 12.635263] audit: type=1305 audit(1654160209.518:142): op=set audit_pid=0 old=665 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:auditd_t:s0 res=1
[ 12.639820] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160209.523:143): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=auditd comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 12.640753] systemd[1]: Stopping Journal Service...
[ 12.641693] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160209.524:144): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-tmpfiles-setup comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 12.642248] systemd[1]: import-state.service: Succeeded.
[ 12.644286] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160209.524:145): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-journal-flush comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 12.644968] systemd[1]: Stopped Import network configuration from initramfs.
[ 12.647005] systemd[1]: Started Emergency Shell.
[ 12.647555] systemd[1]: Reached target Emergency Mode.
[ 12.647907] systemd[1]: Stopped target Local File Systems.
[ 12.648289] systemd[1]: Stopped target Local File Systems (Pre).
[ 12.648775] systemd[1]: systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev.service: Succeeded.
[ 12.648962] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160209.531:146): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=import-state comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 12.649497] systemd[1]: Stopped Create Static Device Nodes in /dev.
[ 12.650557] audit: type=1130 audit(1654160209.531:147): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=emergency comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 12.651055] systemd[1]: systemd-sysusers.service: Succeeded.
[ 12.652286] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160209.535:148): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 12.654604] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160209.538:149): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-sysusers comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 12.655994] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160209.538:150): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=kmod-static-nodes comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
[ 12.655996] audit: type=1131 audit(1654160209.538:151): pid=1 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 subj=system_u:system_r:init_t:s0 msg='unit=systemd-remount-fs comm="systemd" exe="/usr/lib/systemd/systemd" hostname=? addr=? terminal=? res=success'
You are in emergency mode. After logging in, type "journalctl -xb" to view
system logs, "systemctl reboot" to reboot, "systemctl default" or "exit"
to boot into default mode.
Give root password for maintenance
(or press Control-D to continue):

Additional info:

The expected results output above is from RHEL 8.4, with the same VM setup.