diff --git a/src/basic/strv.c b/src/basic/strv.c
index 184804cea0..a4ddaa5e78 100644
--- a/src/basic/strv.c
+++ b/src/basic/strv.c
@@ -976,14 +976,16 @@ bool strv_fnmatch_full(
 }
 
 char** strv_skip(char **l, size_t n) {
-
         while (n > 0) {
                 if (strv_isempty(l))
-                        return l;
+                        return NULL;
 
                 l++, n--;
         }
 
+        /* To simplify callers, always return NULL instead of a zero-item array. */
+        if (strv_isempty(l))
+                return NULL;
         return l;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/home/homectl.c b/src/home/homectl.c
index acceadf176..23570ca31b 100644
--- a/src/home/homectl.c
+++ b/src/home/homectl.c
@@ -760,16 +760,16 @@ static int inspect_homes(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
         pager_open(arg_pager_flags);
 
         char **args = strv_skip(argv, 1);
-        if (strv_isempty(args)) {
+        if (args) {
+                STRV_FOREACH(arg, args)
+                        RET_GATHER(r, inspect_home(bus, *arg));
+                return r;
+        } else {
                 _cleanup_free_ char *myself = getusername_malloc();
                 if (!myself)
                         return log_oom();
 
                 return inspect_home(bus, myself);
-        } else {
-                STRV_FOREACH(arg, args)
-                        RET_GATHER(r, inspect_home(bus, *arg));
-                return r;
         }
 }
 
@@ -818,17 +818,17 @@ static int authenticate_homes(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
         (void) polkit_agent_open_if_enabled(arg_transport, arg_ask_password);
 
         char **args = strv_skip(argv, 1);
-        if (strv_isempty(args)) {
+        if (args) {
+                STRV_FOREACH(arg, args)
+                        RET_GATHER(r, authenticate_home(bus, *arg));
+
+                return r;
+        } else {
                 _cleanup_free_ char *myself = getusername_malloc();
                 if (!myself)
                         return log_oom();
 
                 return authenticate_home(bus, myself);
-        } else {
-                STRV_FOREACH(arg, args)
-                        RET_GATHER(r, authenticate_home(bus, *arg));
-
-                return r;
         }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/test-strv.c b/src/test/test-strv.c
index d64cc55c5b..028765665b 100644
--- a/src/test/test-strv.c
+++ b/src/test/test-strv.c
@@ -1004,17 +1004,21 @@ TEST(strv_skip) {
         test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"), 0, STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"));
         test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"), 1, STRV_MAKE("bar", "baz"));
         test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"), 2, STRV_MAKE("baz"));
-        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"), 3, STRV_MAKE(NULL));
-        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"), 4, STRV_MAKE(NULL));
-        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"), 55, STRV_MAKE(NULL));
+        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"), 3, NULL);
+        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"), 4, NULL);
+        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("foo", "bar", "baz"), 55, NULL);
 
         test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("quux"), 0, STRV_MAKE("quux"));
-        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("quux"), 1, STRV_MAKE(NULL));
-        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("quux"), 55, STRV_MAKE(NULL));
+        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("quux"), 1, NULL);
+        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE("quux"), 55, NULL);
 
-        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE(NULL), 0, STRV_MAKE(NULL));
-        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE(NULL), 1, STRV_MAKE(NULL));
-        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE(NULL), 55, STRV_MAKE(NULL));
+        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE(NULL), 0, NULL);
+        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE(NULL), 1, NULL);
+        test_strv_skip_one(STRV_MAKE(NULL), 55, NULL);
+
+        test_strv_skip_one(NULL, 0, NULL);
+        test_strv_skip_one(NULL, 1, NULL);
+        test_strv_skip_one(NULL, 55, NULL);
 }
 
 TEST(strv_extend_n) {