diff --git a/src/rc-local-generator/rc-local-generator.c b/src/rc-local-generator/rc-local-generator.c
index 11f18b1173..cd5510bf12 100644
--- a/src/rc-local-generator/rc-local-generator.c
+++ b/src/rc-local-generator/rc-local-generator.c
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ static const char *arg_dest = "/tmp";
 
 static int add_symlink(const char *service, const char *where) {
         const char *from, *to;
-        int r;
 
         assert(service);
         assert(where);
@@ -31,8 +30,7 @@ static int add_symlink(const char *service, const char *where) {
 
         (void) mkdir_parents_label(to, 0755);
 
-        r = symlink(from, to);
-        if (r < 0) {
+        if (symlink(from, to) < 0) {
                 if (errno == EEXIST)
                         return 0;
 
@@ -42,6 +40,21 @@ static int add_symlink(const char *service, const char *where) {
         return 1;
 }
 
+static int check_executable(const char *path) {
+        assert(path);
+
+        if (access(path, X_OK) < 0) {
+                if (errno == ENOENT)
+                        return log_debug_errno(errno, "%s does not exist, skipping.", path);
+                if (errno == EACCES)
+                        return log_info_errno(errno, "%s is not marked executable, skipping.", path);
+
+                return log_warning_errno(errno, "Couldn't determine if %s exists and is executable, skipping: %m", path);
+        }
+
+        return 0;
+}
+
 static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         int r = 0, k = 0;
 
@@ -53,19 +66,13 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         if (argc > 1)
                 arg_dest = argv[1];
 
-        if (access(RC_LOCAL_SCRIPT_PATH_START, X_OK) < 0)
-                log_full_errno(errno == ENOENT ? LOG_DEBUG : LOG_WARNING, errno,
-                               RC_LOCAL_SCRIPT_PATH_START " is not executable: %m");
-        else {
+        if (check_executable(RC_LOCAL_SCRIPT_PATH_START) >= 0) {
                 log_debug("Automatically adding rc-local.service.");
 
                 r = add_symlink("rc-local.service", "multi-user.target");
         }
 
-        if (access(RC_LOCAL_SCRIPT_PATH_STOP, X_OK) < 0)
-                log_full_errno(errno == ENOENT ? LOG_DEBUG : LOG_WARNING, errno,
-                               RC_LOCAL_SCRIPT_PATH_STOP " is not executable: %m");
-        else {
+        if (check_executable(RC_LOCAL_SCRIPT_PATH_STOP) >= 0) {
                 log_debug("Automatically adding halt-local.service.");
 
                 k = add_symlink("halt-local.service", "final.target");