diff --git a/src/analyze/analyze-verify.c b/src/analyze/analyze-verify.c
index 4fcec2fcdc..99bce68ca4 100644
--- a/src/analyze/analyze-verify.c
+++ b/src/analyze/analyze-verify.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ int verify_executable(Unit *u, const ExecCommand *exec) {
         if (exec->flags & EXEC_COMMAND_IGNORE_FAILURE)
                 return 0;
 
-        r = find_executable_full(exec->path, false, NULL, NULL);
+        r = find_executable_full(exec->path, /* root= */ NULL, false, NULL, NULL);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_unit_error_errno(u, r, "Command %s is not executable: %m", exec->path);
 
diff --git a/src/basic/path-util.c b/src/basic/path-util.c
index 4aebb6541e..fe799da20b 100644
--- a/src/basic/path-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/path-util.c
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ static int check_x_access(const char *path, int *ret_fd) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-int find_executable_full(const char *name, bool use_path_envvar, char **ret_filename, int *ret_fd) {
+int find_executable_full(const char *name, const char *root, bool use_path_envvar, char **ret_filename, int *ret_fd) {
         int last_error, r;
         const char *p = NULL;
 
@@ -647,6 +647,25 @@ int find_executable_full(const char *name, bool use_path_envvar, char **ret_file
 
         if (is_path(name)) {
                 _cleanup_close_ int fd = -1;
+                _cleanup_free_ char *path_name = NULL;
+
+                /* Function chase_symlinks() is invoked only when root is not NULL,
+                 * as using it regardless of root value would alter the behavior
+                 * of existing callers for example: /bin/sleep would become
+                 * /usr/bin/sleep when find_executables is called. Hence, this function
+                 * should be invoked when needed to avoid unforeseen regression or other
+                 * complicated changes. */
+                if (root) {
+                        r = chase_symlinks(name,
+                                           root,
+                                           CHASE_PREFIX_ROOT,
+                                           &path_name,
+                                           /* ret_fd= */ NULL); /* prefix root to name in case full paths are not specified */
+                        if (r < 0)
+                                return r;
+
+                        name = path_name;
+                }
 
                 r = check_x_access(name, ret_fd ? &fd : NULL);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -690,6 +709,23 @@ int find_executable_full(const char *name, bool use_path_envvar, char **ret_file
                 if (!path_extend(&element, name))
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
+                if (root) {
+                        char *path_name;
+
+                        r = chase_symlinks(element,
+                                           root,
+                                           CHASE_PREFIX_ROOT,
+                                           &path_name,
+                                           /* ret_fd= */ NULL);
+                        if (r < 0) {
+                                if (r != -EACCES)
+                                        last_error = r;
+                                continue;
+                        }
+
+                        free_and_replace(element, path_name);
+                }
+
                 r = check_x_access(element, ret_fd ? &fd : NULL);
                 if (r < 0) {
                         /* PATH entries which we don't have access to are ignored, as per tradition. */
diff --git a/src/basic/path-util.h b/src/basic/path-util.h
index 26e7362d1f..0d69145497 100644
--- a/src/basic/path-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/path-util.h
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ int path_strv_make_absolute_cwd(char **l);
 char** path_strv_resolve(char **l, const char *root);
 char** path_strv_resolve_uniq(char **l, const char *root);
 
-int find_executable_full(const char *name, bool use_path_envvar, char **ret_filename, int *ret_fd);
+int find_executable_full(const char *name, const char *root, bool use_path_envvar, char **ret_filename, int *ret_fd);
 static inline int find_executable(const char *name, char **ret_filename) {
-        return find_executable_full(name, true, ret_filename, NULL);
+        return find_executable_full(name, /* root= */ NULL, true, ret_filename, NULL);
 }
 
 bool paths_check_timestamp(const char* const* paths, usec_t *paths_ts_usec, bool update);
diff --git a/src/core/execute.c b/src/core/execute.c
index 4608956259..6635a35abf 100644
--- a/src/core/execute.c
+++ b/src/core/execute.c
@@ -4351,7 +4351,7 @@ static int exec_child(
 
         _cleanup_free_ char *executable = NULL;
         _cleanup_close_ int executable_fd = -1;
-        r = find_executable_full(command->path, false, &executable, &executable_fd);
+        r = find_executable_full(command->path, /* root= */ NULL, false, &executable, &executable_fd);
         if (r < 0) {
                 if (r != -ENOMEM && (command->flags & EXEC_COMMAND_IGNORE_FAILURE)) {
                         log_unit_struct_errno(unit, LOG_INFO, r,
diff --git a/src/test/test-path-util.c b/src/test/test-path-util.c
index ceea7a62f5..1a0fda5d1a 100644
--- a/src/test/test-path-util.c
+++ b/src/test/test-path-util.c
@@ -204,12 +204,12 @@ static void test_find_executable_full(void) {
 
         log_info("/* %s */", __func__);
 
-        assert_se(find_executable_full("sh", true, &p, NULL) == 0);
+        assert_se(find_executable_full("sh", NULL, true, &p, NULL) == 0);
         puts(p);
         assert_se(streq(basename(p), "sh"));
         free(p);
 
-        assert_se(find_executable_full("sh", false, &p, NULL) == 0);
+        assert_se(find_executable_full("sh", NULL, false, &p, NULL) == 0);
         puts(p);
         assert_se(streq(basename(p), "sh"));
         free(p);
@@ -221,12 +221,12 @@ static void test_find_executable_full(void) {
 
         assert_se(unsetenv("PATH") == 0);
 
-        assert_se(find_executable_full("sh", true, &p, NULL) == 0);
+        assert_se(find_executable_full("sh", NULL, true, &p, NULL) == 0);
         puts(p);
         assert_se(streq(basename(p), "sh"));
         free(p);
 
-        assert_se(find_executable_full("sh", false, &p, NULL) == 0);
+        assert_se(find_executable_full("sh", NULL, false, &p, NULL) == 0);
         puts(p);
         assert_se(streq(basename(p), "sh"));
         free(p);
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ static void test_find_executable_exec_one(const char *path) {
         pid_t pid;
         int r;
 
-        r = find_executable_full(path, false, &t, &fd);
+        r = find_executable_full(path, NULL, false, &t, &fd);
 
         log_info_errno(r, "%s: %s → %s: %d/%m", __func__, path, t ?: "-", fd);