diff --git a/man/systemd-validatefs@.service.xml b/man/systemd-validatefs@.service.xml
index 397bb0d669..f0c7aabc6e 100644
--- a/man/systemd-validatefs@.service.xml
+++ b/man/systemd-validatefs@.service.xml
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
         <term><option>--root=</option></term>
 
         <listitem><para>Takes an absolute path or the special string <literal>auto</literal>. The specified
-        path if removed as prefix from the specified mount point argument before the validation. If set to
+        path is removed as prefix from the specified mount point argument before the validation. If set to
         <literal>auto</literal> defaults to unspecified on the host and <filename>/sysroot/</filename> when
         run in initrd context, in order to validate the mount constraint data relative to the future file
         system root.</para>
diff --git a/src/basic/xattr-util.c b/src/basic/xattr-util.c
index f958e480ff..deacc1025a 100644
--- a/src/basic/xattr-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/xattr-util.c
@@ -192,10 +192,11 @@ int getxattr_at_bool(int fd, const char *path, const char *name, int at_flags) {
 }
 
 int getxattr_at_strv(int fd, const char *path, const char *name, int at_flags, char ***ret_strv) {
+        _cleanup_free_ char *nulstr = NULL;
+        size_t nulstr_size;
         int r;
 
-        _cleanup_free_ char *nulstr = NULL;
-        size_t nulstr_size = 0;
+        assert(ret_strv);
 
         r = getxattr_at_malloc(fd, path, name, at_flags, &nulstr, &nulstr_size);
         if (r < 0)
@@ -343,11 +344,13 @@ int xsetxattr_full(
         return 0;
 }
 
-int xsetxattr_strv(int fd, const char *path, int at_flags, const char *name, char * const* l) {
+int xsetxattr_strv(int fd, const char *path, int at_flags, const char *name, char * const *l) {
+        _cleanup_free_ char *nulstr = NULL;
+        size_t size;
         int r;
 
-        _cleanup_free_ char *nulstr = NULL;
-        size_t size = 0;
+        assert(name);
+
         r = strv_make_nulstr(l, &nulstr, &size);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/basic/xattr-util.h b/src/basic/xattr-util.h
index 02293e5007..773e736cfb 100644
--- a/src/basic/xattr-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/xattr-util.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ static inline int xsetxattr(
         return xsetxattr_full(fd, path, at_flags, name, value, SIZE_MAX, 0);
 }
 
-int xsetxattr_strv(int fd, const char *path, int at_flags, const char *name, char *const*l);
+int xsetxattr_strv(int fd, const char *path, int at_flags, const char *name, char * const *l);
 
 int xremovexattr(int fd, const char *path, int at_flags, const char *name);
 
diff --git a/src/validatefs/validatefs.c b/src/validatefs/validatefs.c
index fb516744d3..2499a7e20f 100644
--- a/src/validatefs/validatefs.c
+++ b/src/validatefs/validatefs.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ static int help(void) {
                 return log_oom();
 
         printf("%1$s [OPTIONS...] /path/to/mountpoint\n"
-               "\n%3$sCheck file system validation constraints.%4$s\n"
+               "\n%3$sCheck file system validation constraints.%4$s\n\n"
                "  -h --help            Show this help and exit\n"
                "     --version         Print version string and exit\n"
                "     --root=PATH|auto  Operate relative to the specified path\n"
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ static int validate_fields_read(int fd, ValidateFields *ret) {
         assert(ret);
 
         _cleanup_free_ char *t = NULL;
-        r = getxattr_at_malloc(fd, /* path= */ NULL, "user.validatefs.gpt_type_uuid", AT_EMPTY_PATH, &t, /* ret_size= */ NULL);
+        r = fgetxattr_malloc(fd, "user.validatefs.gpt_type_uuid", &t, /* ret_size= */ NULL);
         if (r < 0) {
                 if (r != -ENODATA && !ERRNO_IS_NOT_SUPPORTED(r))
                         return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to read 'user.validatefs.gpt_type_uuid' xattr: %m");
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ static int validate_fields_read(int fd, ValidateFields *ret) {
                         return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse 'user.validatefs.gpt_type_uuid' xattr: %s", t);
         }
 
-        r = getxattr_at_malloc(fd, /* path= */ NULL, "user.validatefs.gpt_label", AT_EMPTY_PATH, &f.gpt_label, /* ret_size= */ NULL);
+        r = fgetxattr_malloc(fd, "user.validatefs.gpt_label", &f.gpt_label, /* ret_size= */ NULL);
         if (r < 0) {
                 if (r != -ENODATA && !ERRNO_IS_NOT_SUPPORTED(r))
                         return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to read 'user.validatefs.gpt_label' xattr: %m");
@@ -318,14 +318,10 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 return r;
         if (r == 0) {
                 log_info("File system '%s' has no validation constraints set, not validating.", resolved);
-                return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+                return 0;
         }
 
-        r = validate_fields_check(target_fd, resolved, &f);
-        if (r < 0)
-                return r;
-
-        return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+        return validate_fields_check(target_fd, resolved, &f);
 }
 
 DEFINE_MAIN_FUNCTION(run);
diff --git a/units/systemd-validatefs@.service.in b/units/systemd-validatefs@.service.in
index f94482f982..d0a0f5f9b0 100644
--- a/units/systemd-validatefs@.service.in
+++ b/units/systemd-validatefs@.service.in
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ BindsTo=%i.mount
 Conflicts=shutdown.target
 After=%i.mount
 Before=shutdown.target systemd-pcrfs@%i.service systemd-quotacheck@%i.service systemd-growfs@%i.service
+FailureAction=reboot-immediate
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
 RemainAfterExit=yes
 ExecStart={{LIBEXECDIR}}/systemd-validatefs --root=auto %f
-FailureAction=reboot-immediate