diff --git a/src/basic/extract-word.c b/src/basic/extract-word.c
index 5ebf67437c..c21ac1fde5 100644
--- a/src/basic/extract-word.c
+++ b/src/basic/extract-word.c
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ int extract_first_word(const char **p, char **ret, const char *separators, Extra
                                 return -EINVAL;
                         }
 
-                        if (flags & (EXTRACT_CUNESCAPE|EXTRACT_UNESCAPE_SEPARATORS)) {
+                        if (flags & (EXTRACT_CUNESCAPE|EXTRACT_UNESCAPE_SEPARATORS|EXTRACT_UNESCAPE_RELAX)) {
                                 bool eight_bit = false;
                                 char32_t u;
 
diff --git a/src/test/test-extract-word.c b/src/test/test-extract-word.c
index aad9bbc47d..3e11f5922b 100644
--- a/src/test/test-extract-word.c
+++ b/src/test/test-extract-word.c
@@ -247,13 +247,13 @@ TEST(extract_first_word) {
 
         p = original = "fooo\\ bar quux";
         assert_se(extract_first_word(&p, &t, NULL, EXTRACT_UNESCAPE_RELAX) > 0);
-        ASSERT_STREQ(t, "fooo bar");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(t, "fooo\\ bar");
         free(t);
         assert_se(p == original + 10);
 
         p = original = "fooo\\ bar quux";
         assert_se(extract_first_word(&p, &t, NULL, EXTRACT_UNESCAPE_RELAX|EXTRACT_RELAX) > 0);
-        ASSERT_STREQ(t, "fooo bar");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(t, "fooo\\ bar");
         free(t);
         assert_se(p == original + 10);