diff --git a/src/shared/install.c b/src/shared/install.c
index 812f7991ab..ca8e7d2733 100644
--- a/src/shared/install.c
+++ b/src/shared/install.c
@@ -1986,7 +1986,9 @@ static int install_info_symlink_alias(
                 }
                 broken = r == 0; /* symlink target does not exist? */
 
-                RET_GATHER(ret, create_symlink(lp, alias_target ?: info->path, alias_path, force || broken, changes, n_changes));
+                r = create_symlink(lp, alias_target ?: info->path, alias_path, force || broken, changes, n_changes);
+                if (r != 0 && ret >= 0)
+                        ret = r;
         }
 
         return ret;
@@ -2009,7 +2011,7 @@ static int install_info_symlink_wants(
 
         UnitNameFlags valid_dst_type = UNIT_NAME_ANY;
         const char *n;
-        int r = 0, q;
+        int r, q;
 
         assert(info);
         assert(lp);
@@ -2080,7 +2082,7 @@ static int install_info_symlink_wants(
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
                 q = create_symlink(lp, info->path, path, /* force = */ true, changes, n_changes);
-                if ((q < 0 && r >= 0) || r == 0)
+                if (q != 0 && r >= 0)
                         r = q;
 
                 if (unit_file_exists(scope, lp, dst) == 0) {
@@ -2152,15 +2154,15 @@ static int install_info_apply(
         r = install_info_symlink_alias(scope, info, lp, config_path, force, changes, n_changes);
 
         q = install_info_symlink_wants(scope, file_flags, info, lp, config_path, info->wanted_by, ".wants/", changes, n_changes);
-        if (r == 0)
+        if (q != 0 && r >= 0)
                 r = q;
 
         q = install_info_symlink_wants(scope, file_flags, info, lp, config_path, info->required_by, ".requires/", changes, n_changes);
-        if (r == 0)
+        if (q != 0 && r >= 0)
                 r = q;
 
         q = install_info_symlink_wants(scope, file_flags, info, lp, config_path, info->upheld_by, ".upholds/", changes, n_changes);
-        if (r == 0)
+        if (q != 0 && r >= 0)
                 r = q;
 
         return r;
diff --git a/src/test/test-install-root.c b/src/test/test-install-root.c
index fbfab6d69b..3a623a8761 100644
--- a/src/test/test-install-root.c
+++ b/src/test/test-install-root.c
@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@ TEST(basic_mask_and_enable) {
         InstallChange *changes = NULL;
         size_t n_changes = 0;
 
-        assert_se(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "a.service", NULL) == -ENOENT);
-        assert_se(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "b.service", NULL) == -ENOENT);
-        assert_se(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "c.service", NULL) == -ENOENT);
-        assert_se(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "d.service", NULL) == -ENOENT);
-        assert_se(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "e.service", NULL) == -ENOENT);
-        assert_se(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "f.service", NULL) == -ENOENT);
+        ASSERT_EQ(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "a.service", NULL), -ENOENT);
+        ASSERT_EQ(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "b.service", NULL), -ENOENT);
+        ASSERT_EQ(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "c.service", NULL), -ENOENT);
+        ASSERT_EQ(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "d.service", NULL), -ENOENT);
+        ASSERT_EQ(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "e.service", NULL), -ENOENT);
+        ASSERT_EQ(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "f.service", NULL), -ENOENT);
+        ASSERT_EQ(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "g.service", NULL), -ENOENT);
+        ASSERT_EQ(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "h.service", NULL), -ENOENT);
 
         p = strjoina(root, "/usr/lib/systemd/system/a.service");
         assert_se(write_string_file(p,
@@ -197,6 +199,24 @@ TEST(basic_mask_and_enable) {
         changes = NULL; n_changes = 0;
 
         assert_se(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "f.service", &state) >= 0 && state == UNIT_FILE_ENABLED);
+
+        /* Test enabling units with only Alias= (unit_file_enable should return > 0 to indicate we did
+         * something, #33411) */
+
+        p = strjoina(root, SYSTEM_CONFIG_UNIT_DIR "/g.service");
+        ASSERT_OK(write_string_file(p,
+                                    "[Install]\n"
+                                    "Alias=h.service\n", WRITE_STRING_FILE_CREATE));
+
+        ASSERT_GT(unit_file_enable(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, 0, root, STRV_MAKE("g.service"), &changes, &n_changes), 0);
+        install_changes_free(changes, n_changes);
+        changes = NULL; n_changes = 0;
+
+        ASSERT_OK(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "g.service", &state));
+        ASSERT_EQ(state, UNIT_FILE_ENABLED);
+
+        ASSERT_OK(unit_file_get_state(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, root, "h.service", &state));
+        ASSERT_EQ(state, UNIT_FILE_ALIAS);
 }
 
 TEST(linked_units) {