diff --git a/docs/RELEASE.md b/docs/RELEASE.md
index 4a1f394aee..acbfa8e5bb 100644
--- a/docs/RELEASE.md
+++ b/docs/RELEASE.md
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
 2. Update the contributors list in NEWS (`ninja -C build git-contrib`)
 3. Update the time and place in NEWS
 4. Update hwdb (`ninja -C build update-hwdb`, `ninja -C build update-hwdb-autosuspend`, commit separately).
-5. Update syscall numbers (`ninja -C build update-syscall-tables update-syscall-headers`).
+5. Update syscall numbers (`ninja -C build update-syscall-tables update-syscall-header`).
 6. [RC1] Update version and library numbers in `meson.build`
 7. Check dbus docs with `ninja -C build update-dbus-docs`
 8. Tag the release: `version=vXXX-rcY && git tag -s "${version}" -m "systemd ${version}"`
diff --git a/src/basic/strv.h b/src/basic/strv.h
index 6295058876..b9563e8692 100644
--- a/src/basic/strv.h
+++ b/src/basic/strv.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ int strv_split_full(char ***t, const char *s, const char *separators, ExtractFla
 static inline char** strv_split(const char *s, const char *separators) {
         char **ret;
 
-        if (strv_split_full(&ret, s, separators, 0) < 0)
+        if (strv_split_full(&ret, s, separators, EXTRACT_RETAIN_ESCAPE) < 0)
                 return NULL;
 
         return ret;
diff --git a/src/basic/terminal-util.c b/src/basic/terminal-util.c
index 8ddcfe2323..a142ba2dfb 100644
--- a/src/basic/terminal-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/terminal-util.c
@@ -1278,12 +1278,7 @@ ColorMode get_color_mode(void) {
                         /* We only check for the presence of the variable; value is ignored. */
                         cached_color_mode = COLOR_OFF;
 
-                else if (STRPTR_IN_SET(getenv("COLORTERM"),
-                                       "truecolor",
-                                       "24bit"))
-                        cached_color_mode = COLOR_24BIT;
-
-                else if (getpid_cached() == 1)
+                else if (getpid_cached() == 1) {
                         /* PID1 outputs to the console without holding it open all the time.
                          *
                          * Note that the Linux console can only display 16 colors. We still enable 256 color
@@ -1292,9 +1287,23 @@ ColorMode get_color_mode(void) {
                          * map them to the closest color in the 16 color palette (since kernel 3.16). Doing
                          * 256 colors is nice for people who invoke systemd in a container or via a serial
                          * link or such, and use a true 256 color terminal to do so. */
-                        cached_color_mode = getenv_terminal_is_dumb() ? COLOR_OFF : COLOR_256;
-                else
-                        cached_color_mode = terminal_is_dumb() ? COLOR_OFF : COLOR_256;
+                        if (getenv_terminal_is_dumb())
+                                cached_color_mode = COLOR_OFF;
+                } else {
+                        if (terminal_is_dumb())
+                                cached_color_mode = COLOR_OFF;
+                }
+
+                if (cached_color_mode < 0) {
+                        /* We failed to figure out any reason to *disable* colors.
+                         * Let's see how many colors we shall use. */
+                        if (STRPTR_IN_SET(getenv("COLORTERM"),
+                                          "truecolor",
+                                          "24bit"))
+                                cached_color_mode = COLOR_24BIT;
+                        else
+                                cached_color_mode = COLOR_256;
+                }
         }
 
         return cached_color_mode;
diff --git a/src/test/test-strv.c b/src/test/test-strv.c
index dabb0cd973..331c277c35 100644
--- a/src/test/test-strv.c
+++ b/src/test/test-strv.c
@@ -317,6 +317,21 @@ TEST(strv_split) {
 
         assert_se(strv_split_full(&l, "\\", NULL, EXTRACT_UNQUOTE | EXTRACT_RELAX | EXTRACT_UNESCAPE_RELAX) == 1);
         assert_se(strv_equal(l, STRV_MAKE("\\")));
+
+        l = strv_free_erase(l);
+
+        assert_se(l = strv_split("\\", NULL));
+        assert_se(strv_equal(l, STRV_MAKE("\\")));
+
+        l = strv_free_erase(l);
+
+        assert_se(l = strv_split("aa\\ bb\\", NULL));
+        assert_se(strv_equal(l, STRV_MAKE("aa\\", "bb\\")));
+
+        l = strv_free_erase(l);
+
+        assert_se(l = strv_split("aa\" bb'", NULL));
+        assert_se(strv_equal(l, STRV_MAKE("aa\"", "bb'")));
 }
 
 TEST(strv_split_empty) {