diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-event/event-util.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-event/event-util.c
index 47cf76f9c2..d4e986fc49 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-event/event-util.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-event/event-util.c
@@ -165,19 +165,49 @@ int event_add_time_change(sd_event *e, sd_event_source **ret, sd_event_io_handle
 
 int event_add_child_pidref(
                 sd_event *e,
-                sd_event_source **s,
+                sd_event_source **ret,
                 const PidRef *pid,
                 int options,
                 sd_event_child_handler_t callback,
                 void *userdata) {
 
+        int r;
+
+        assert(e);
+
         if (!pidref_is_set(pid))
                 return -ESRCH;
 
-        if (pid->fd >= 0)
-                return sd_event_add_child_pidfd(e, s, pid->fd, options, callback, userdata);
+        if (pidref_is_remote(pid))
+                return -EREMOTE;
 
-        return sd_event_add_child(e, s, pid->pid, options, callback, userdata);
+        if (pid->fd < 0)
+                return sd_event_add_child(e, ret, pid->pid, options, callback, userdata);
+
+        _cleanup_close_ int copy_fd = fcntl(pid->fd, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, 3);
+        if (copy_fd < 0)
+                return -errno;
+
+        _cleanup_(sd_event_source_unrefp) sd_event_source *s = NULL;
+        r = sd_event_add_child_pidfd(e, &s, copy_fd, options, callback, userdata);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        r = sd_event_source_set_child_pidfd_own(s, true);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        TAKE_FD(copy_fd);
+
+        if (ret)
+                *ret = TAKE_PTR(s);
+        else {
+                r = sd_event_source_set_floating(s, true);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return r;
+        }
+
+        return 0;
 }
 
 int event_source_get_child_pidref(sd_event_source *s, PidRef *ret) {
diff --git a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
index d616f2c7ab..294775d03e 100644
--- a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
+++ b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn.c
@@ -2350,7 +2350,9 @@ static int run_virtual_machine(int kvm_device_fd, int vhost_device_fd) {
                 log_debug_errno(r, "Failed allocate memory pressure event source, ignoring: %m");
 
         /* Exit when the child exits */
-        (void) event_add_child_pidref(event, NULL, &child_pidref, WEXITED, on_child_exit, NULL);
+        r = event_add_child_pidref(event, /* ret_event_source= */ NULL, &child_pidref, WEXITED, on_child_exit, /* userdata= */ NULL);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to watch qemu process: &m");
 
         _cleanup_(osc_context_closep) sd_id128_t osc_context_id = SD_ID128_NULL;
         _cleanup_(pty_forward_freep) PTYForward *forward = NULL;