diff --git a/src/shared/logs-show.c b/src/shared/logs-show.c
index 7fa8935af3..9770c36a53 100644
--- a/src/shared/logs-show.c
+++ b/src/shared/logs-show.c
@@ -1193,17 +1193,20 @@ static int update_json_data_split(
         return update_json_data(h, flags, name, eq + 1, size - fieldlen - 1);
 }
 
-int journal_entry_to_json(sd_journal *j, OutputFlags flags, const Set *output_fields, sd_json_variant **ret) {
+int journal_entry_to_json(
+                sd_journal *j,
+                OutputFlags flags,
+                const Set *output_fields,
+                sd_json_variant **ret) {
 
         char usecbuf[CONST_MAX(DECIMAL_STR_MAX(usec_t), DECIMAL_STR_MAX(uint64_t))];
-        _cleanup_(sd_json_variant_unrefp) sd_json_variant *object = NULL;
-        _cleanup_hashmap_free_ Hashmap *h = NULL;
         sd_id128_t journal_boot_id, seqnum_id;
         _cleanup_free_ char *cursor = NULL;
         usec_t realtime, monotonic;
-        sd_json_variant **array = NULL;
-        JsonData *d;
         uint64_t seqnum;
+        const char *corrupted_what = NULL;
+        _cleanup_hashmap_free_ Hashmap *h = NULL;
+        _cleanup_free_ sd_json_variant **array = NULL;
         size_t n = 0;
         int r;
 
@@ -1214,32 +1217,32 @@ int journal_entry_to_json(sd_journal *j, OutputFlags flags, const Set *output_fi
 
         r = sd_journal_get_cursor(j, &cursor);
         if (IN_SET(r, -EBADMSG, -EADDRNOTAVAIL)) {
-                log_debug_errno(r, "Unable to determine cursor of entry, assuming bad or partially written entry: %m");
-                return 0;
+                corrupted_what = "cursor";
+                goto corrupted_skip;
         }
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to get cursor: %m");
 
         r = sd_journal_get_realtime_usec(j, &realtime);
         if (r == -EBADMSG) {
-                log_debug_errno(r, "Unable to read realtime timestamp of entry, assuming bad or partially written entry: %m");
-                return 0;
+                corrupted_what = "realtime timestamp";
+                goto corrupted_skip;
         }
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to get realtime timestamp: %m");
 
         r = sd_journal_get_monotonic_usec(j, &monotonic, &journal_boot_id);
         if (r == -EBADMSG) {
-                log_debug_errno(r, "Unable to read monotonic timestamp of entry, assuming bad or partially written entry: %m");
-                return 0;
+                corrupted_what = "monotonic timestamp";
+                goto corrupted_skip;
         }
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to get monotonic timestamp: %m");
 
         r = sd_journal_get_seqnum(j, &seqnum, &seqnum_id);
         if (r == -EBADMSG) {
-                log_debug_errno(r, "Unable to read sequence number of entry, assuming bad or partially written entry: %m");
-                return 0;
+                corrupted_what = "sequence number";
+                goto corrupted_skip;
         }
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to get seqnum: %m");
@@ -1294,29 +1297,32 @@ int journal_entry_to_json(sd_journal *j, OutputFlags flags, const Set *output_fi
                         return r;
         }
 
-        array = new(sd_json_variant*, hashmap_size(h)*2);
+        array = new(sd_json_variant*, hashmap_size(h) * 2);
         if (!array)
                 return log_oom();
 
-        CLEANUP_ARRAY(array, n, sd_json_variant_unref_many);
-
+        JsonData *d;
         HASHMAP_FOREACH(d, h) {
                 assert(sd_json_variant_elements(d->values) > 0);
 
-                array[n++] = sd_json_variant_ref(d->name);
+                array[n++] = d->name;
 
                 if (sd_json_variant_elements(d->values) == 1)
-                        array[n++] = sd_json_variant_ref(sd_json_variant_by_index(d->values, 0));
+                        array[n++] = sd_json_variant_by_index(d->values, 0);
                 else
-                        array[n++] = sd_json_variant_ref(d->values);
+                        array[n++] = d->values;
         }
 
-        r = sd_json_variant_new_object(&object, array, n);
+        r = sd_json_variant_new_object(ret, array, n);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to allocate JSON object: %m");
 
-        *ret = TAKE_PTR(object);
         return 1;
+
+corrupted_skip:
+        log_debug_errno(r, "Unable to determine %s of entry, assuming bad or partially written entry: %m", ASSERT_PTR(corrupted_what));
+        *ret = NULL;
+        return 0;
 }
 
 static int output_json(
@@ -1338,9 +1344,9 @@ static int output_json(
                 return r;
 
         return sd_json_variant_dump(object,
-                                 output_mode_to_json_format_flags(mode) |
-                                 (FLAGS_SET(flags, OUTPUT_COLOR) ? SD_JSON_FORMAT_COLOR : 0),
-                                 f, NULL);
+                                    output_mode_to_json_format_flags(mode) |
+                                    (FLAGS_SET(flags, OUTPUT_COLOR) ? SD_JSON_FORMAT_COLOR : 0),
+                                    f, NULL);
 }
 
 static int output_cat_field(