diff --git a/src/home/homed-home.c b/src/home/homed-home.c
index 96477b3061..a2c28337f4 100644
--- a/src/home/homed-home.c
+++ b/src/home/homed-home.c
@@ -689,6 +689,8 @@ static int convert_worker_errno(Home *h, int e, sd_bus_error *error) {
                 return sd_bus_error_setf(error, BUS_ERROR_HOME_CANT_AUTHENTICATE, "Home %s has no password or other authentication mechanism defined.", h->user_name);
         case -EADDRINUSE:
                 return sd_bus_error_setf(error, BUS_ERROR_HOME_IN_USE, "Home %s is currently being used elsewhere.", h->user_name);
+        case -ENETUNREACH:
+                return sd_bus_error_setf(error, BUS_ERROR_HOME_ABSENT, "Backing storage for %s currently absent.", h->user_name);
         }
 
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/home/homework.c b/src/home/homework.c
index 00e74894b3..9d3eb94ab2 100644
--- a/src/home/homework.c
+++ b/src/home/homework.c
@@ -926,7 +926,7 @@ static int home_activate(UserRecord *h, UserRecord **ret_home) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
         if (r == USER_TEST_ABSENT)
-                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOENT), "Image path %s is missing, refusing.", user_record_image_path(h));
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENETUNREACH), "Image path %s is missing, refusing.", user_record_image_path(h));
 
         switch (user_record_storage(h)) {
 
@@ -1596,7 +1596,7 @@ static int home_validate_update(UserRecord *h, HomeSetup *setup, HomeSetupFlags
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
         if (r == USER_TEST_ABSENT)
-                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOENT), "Image path %s does not exist", user_record_image_path(h));
+                return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENETUNREACH), "Image path %s does not exist", user_record_image_path(h));
 
         switch (user_record_storage(h)) {
 
@@ -2092,6 +2092,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
          * ENOSPC          → not enough disk space for operation
          * EKEYREVOKED     → user record has not suitable hashed password or pkcs#11 entry, we cannot authenticate
          * EADDRINUSE      → home image is already used elsewhere (lock taken)
+         * ENETUNREACH     → backing storage is currently not (image is ENOENT, or AF_UNIX socket to connect to is ENOENT)
          */
 
         if (streq(argv[1], "activate"))