diff --git a/src/shared/conf-parser.c b/src/shared/conf-parser.c
index 68c4b2ca1a..5476c061d7 100644
--- a/src/shared/conf-parser.c
+++ b/src/shared/conf-parser.c
@@ -748,9 +748,13 @@ static int config_section_compare_func(const ConfigSection *x, const ConfigSecti
 
 DEFINE_HASH_OPS(config_section_hash_ops, ConfigSection, config_section_hash_func, config_section_compare_func);
 
-int config_section_new(const char *filename, unsigned line, ConfigSection **s) {
+int config_section_new(const char *filename, unsigned line, ConfigSection **ret) {
         ConfigSection *cs;
 
+        assert(filename);
+        assert(line > 0);
+        assert(ret);
+
         cs = malloc0(offsetof(ConfigSection, filename) + strlen(filename) + 1);
         if (!cs)
                 return -ENOMEM;
@@ -758,8 +762,7 @@ int config_section_new(const char *filename, unsigned line, ConfigSection **s) {
         strcpy(cs->filename, filename);
         cs->line = line;
 
-        *s = TAKE_PTR(cs);
-
+        *ret = TAKE_PTR(cs);
         return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/shared/conf-parser.h b/src/shared/conf-parser.h
index 902717965c..3fc434ef03 100644
--- a/src/shared/conf-parser.h
+++ b/src/shared/conf-parser.h
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ static inline ConfigSection* config_section_free(ConfigSection *cs) {
 }
 DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(ConfigSection*, config_section_free);
 
-int config_section_new(const char *filename, unsigned line, ConfigSection **s);
+int config_section_new(const char *filename, unsigned line, ConfigSection **ret);
 extern const struct hash_ops config_section_hash_ops;
 unsigned hashmap_find_free_section_line(Hashmap *hashmap);