diff --git a/src/machine/machine-varlink.c b/src/machine/machine-varlink.c
index 118d8178f4..73edd781b5 100644
--- a/src/machine/machine-varlink.c
+++ b/src/machine/machine-varlink.c
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ int vl_method_register(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink
         if (r != 0)
                 return r;
 
+        if (!IN_SET(machine->class, MACHINE_CONTAINER, MACHINE_VM))
+                return sd_varlink_error_invalid_parameter_name(link, "class");
+
         if (manager->runtime_scope != RUNTIME_SCOPE_USER) {
                 r = varlink_verify_polkit_async(
                                 link,
diff --git a/src/machine/machined-dbus.c b/src/machine/machined-dbus.c
index ab7ca94fd0..87f0c15ee1 100644
--- a/src/machine/machined-dbus.c
+++ b/src/machine/machined-dbus.c
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ static int method_create_or_register_machine(
                 c = _MACHINE_CLASS_INVALID;
         else {
                 c = machine_class_from_string(class);
-                if (c < 0)
+                if (c < 0 || !IN_SET(c, MACHINE_CONTAINER, MACHINE_VM))
                         return sd_bus_error_set(error, SD_BUS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS, "Invalid machine class parameter");
         }
 
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ static int method_create_or_register_machine_ex(
                 c = _MACHINE_CLASS_INVALID;
         else {
                 c = machine_class_from_string(class);
-                if (c < 0)
+                if (c < 0 || !IN_SET(c, MACHINE_CONTAINER, MACHINE_VM))
                         return sd_bus_error_set(error, SD_BUS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS, "Invalid machine class parameter");
         }
 
diff --git a/src/nspawn/nspawn-mount.c b/src/nspawn/nspawn-mount.c
index 282a29c359..1ee01238f3 100644
--- a/src/nspawn/nspawn-mount.c
+++ b/src/nspawn/nspawn-mount.c
@@ -1370,7 +1370,9 @@ int pivot_root_parse(char **pivot_root_new, char **pivot_root_old, const char *s
 
         if (!path_is_absolute(root_new))
                 return -EINVAL;
-        if (root_old && !path_is_absolute(root_old))
+        if (!path_is_normalized(root_new))
+                return -EINVAL;
+        if (root_old && (!path_is_absolute(root_old) || !path_is_normalized(root_old)))
                 return -EINVAL;
 
         free_and_replace(*pivot_root_new, root_new);
diff --git a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
index 1b3aa7d1ad..84e94e845a 100644
--- a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
+++ b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
@@ -4783,8 +4783,13 @@ static int merge_settings(Settings *settings, const char *path) {
         }
 
         if ((arg_settings_mask & SETTING_EPHEMERAL) == 0 &&
-            settings->ephemeral >= 0)
-                arg_ephemeral = settings->ephemeral;
+            settings->ephemeral >= 0) {
+
+                if (!arg_settings_trusted)
+                        log_warning("Ignoring ephemeral setting, file %s is not trusted.", path);
+                else
+                        arg_ephemeral = settings->ephemeral;
+        }
 
         if ((arg_settings_mask & SETTING_DIRECTORY) == 0 &&
             settings->root) {
@@ -4953,8 +4958,13 @@ static int merge_settings(Settings *settings, const char *path) {
         }
 
         if ((arg_settings_mask & SETTING_BIND_USER) == 0 &&
-            !strv_isempty(settings->bind_user))
-                strv_free_and_replace(arg_bind_user, settings->bind_user);
+            !strv_isempty(settings->bind_user)) {
+
+                if (!arg_settings_trusted)
+                        log_warning("Ignoring bind user setting, file %s is not trusted.", path);
+                else
+                        strv_free_and_replace(arg_bind_user, settings->bind_user);
+        }
 
         if (!FLAGS_SET(arg_settings_mask, SETTING_BIND_USER_SHELL) &&
             settings->bind_user_shell_set) {
diff --git a/test/units/TEST-13-NSPAWN.unpriv.sh b/test/units/TEST-13-NSPAWN.unpriv.sh
index 25867de707..75a9c1aac0 100755
--- a/test/units/TEST-13-NSPAWN.unpriv.sh
+++ b/test/units/TEST-13-NSPAWN.unpriv.sh
@@ -120,6 +120,46 @@ run0 -u testuser  \
         /run/systemd/machine/io.systemd.Machine \
         io.systemd.Machine.Open \
         '{"name":"shouldnotwork3", "mode": "shell", "user":"root","path":"/usr/bin/bash","args":["bash","-c","''touch /shouldnotwork; sleep 20''"]}')
+(! varlinkctl \
+    call \
+    /run/systemd/machine/io.systemd.Machine \
+    io.systemd.Machine.Register \
+    "{\"name\":\"shouldnotwork4\", \"class\":\"host\", \"leader\": $sleep_pid}")
+(! machinectl list | grep shouldnotwork4)
+(! run0 -u testuser  \
+    varlinkctl \
+        call \
+        /run/systemd/machine/io.systemd.Machine \
+        io.systemd.Machine.Register \
+        "{\"name\":\"shouldnotwork5\", \"class\":\"host\", \"leader\": $sleep_pid}")
+(! machinectl list | grep shouldnotwork5)
+(! busctl call \
+    org.freedesktop.machine1 \
+    /org/freedesktop/machine1 \
+    org.freedesktop.machine1.Manager \
+    RegisterMachine \
+    'sayssus' \
+    shouldnotwork6 \
+    0 \
+    "" \
+    host \
+    0 \
+    "")
+(! machinectl list | grep shouldnotwork6)
+(! run0 -u testuser \
+    busctl call \
+        org.freedesktop.machine1 \
+        /org/freedesktop/machine1 \
+        org.freedesktop.machine1.Manager \
+        RegisterMachine \
+        'sayssus' \
+        shouldnotwork7 \
+        0 \
+        "" \
+        host \
+        0 \
+        "")
+(! machinectl list | grep shouldnotwork7)
 systemctl --user --machine testuser@ stop sleep.service
 test ! -f /shouldnotwork