diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-private.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-private.h
index f2f349f2ac..27aa6bf2fc 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-private.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-private.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ int device_get_property_bool(sd_device *device, const char *key);
 int device_get_property_int(sd_device *device, const char *key, int *ret);
 int device_get_property_uint(sd_device *device, const char *key, unsigned *ret);
 int device_get_ifname(sd_device *device, const char **ret);
+int device_get_sysattr_safe_string(sd_device *device, const char *sysattr, const char **ret);
 int device_get_sysattr_int(sd_device *device, const char *sysattr, int *ret_value);
 int device_get_sysattr_unsigned_full(sd_device *device, const char *sysattr, unsigned base, unsigned *ret_value);
 static inline int device_get_sysattr_unsigned(sd_device *device, const char *sysattr, unsigned *ret_value) {
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/sd-device.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/sd-device.c
index 307137b431..09a48a74c5 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/sd-device.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/sd-device.c
@@ -2619,6 +2619,34 @@ _public_ int sd_device_get_sysattr_value(sd_device *device, const char *sysattr,
         return sd_device_get_sysattr_value_with_size(device, sysattr, ret_value, NULL);
 }
 
+int device_get_sysattr_safe_string(sd_device *device, const char *sysattr, const char **ret) {
+        const char *value;
+        int r;
+
+        r = sd_device_get_sysattr_value(device, sysattr, &value);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        if (!string_is_safe(value,
+                            STRING_ALLOW_EMPTY |
+                            STRING_ALLOW_NEWLINES |
+                            STRING_ALLOW_BACKSLASHES |
+                            STRING_ALLOW_QUOTES |
+                            STRING_ALLOW_GLOBS)) {
+                if (DEBUG_LOGGING) {
+                        _cleanup_free_ char *escaped = cescape(value);
+                        log_device_debug(device, "sd-device: '%s' sysattr contains invalid characters, refusing: %s",
+                                         sysattr, strnull(escaped));
+                }
+                return -ENXIO;
+        }
+
+        if (ret)
+                *ret = value;
+
+        return 0;
+}
+
 int device_get_sysattr_int(sd_device *device, const char *sysattr, int *ret_value) {
         const char *value;
         int r;
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/test-sd-device.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/test-sd-device.c
index bf62e9082b..9201919898 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/test-sd-device.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/test-sd-device.c
@@ -305,6 +305,13 @@ static void test_sd_device_one(sd_device *d) {
                 ASSERT_OK(r = device_get_sysattr_unsigned(d, "nsid", &x));
                 ASSERT_EQ(x > 0, r > 0);
         }
+
+        const char *uevent;
+        if (sd_device_get_sysattr_value(d, "uevent", &uevent) >= 0) {
+                const char *uevent_safe;
+                ASSERT_OK(device_get_sysattr_safe_string(d, "uevent", &uevent_safe));
+                ASSERT_STREQ(uevent, uevent_safe);
+        }
 }
 
 static void exclude_problematic_devices(sd_device_enumerator *e) {