diff --git a/src/journal/journalctl-show.c b/src/journal/journalctl-show.c
index d4a7c730c5..f2b43a7f3e 100644
--- a/src/journal/journalctl-show.c
+++ b/src/journal/journalctl-show.c
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ typedef struct Context {
 static void context_done(Context *c) {
         assert(c);
 
-        c->synchronize_varlink = sd_varlink_flush_close_unref(c->synchronize_varlink);
-        c->event = sd_event_unref(c->event);
+        sd_varlink_flush_close_unref(c->synchronize_varlink);
+        sd_event_unref(c->event);
         sd_journal_close(c->journal);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/journal/journald-sync.c b/src/journal/journald-sync.c
index c3b8de7412..e3b28f77f0 100644
--- a/src/journal/journald-sync.c
+++ b/src/journal/journald-sync.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ SyncReq* sync_req_free(SyncReq *req) {
                         LIST_REMOVE(pending_rqlen, req->server->sync_req_pending_rqlen, req);
         }
 
-        req->idle_event_source = sd_event_source_disable_unref(req->idle_event_source);
+        sd_event_source_disable_unref(req->idle_event_source);
 
         sd_varlink_unref(req->link);