diff --git a/src/basic/process-util.c b/src/basic/process-util.c
index 59dfaa07f3..c74a7e7ea4 100644
--- a/src/basic/process-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/process-util.c
@@ -702,15 +702,17 @@ int get_process_ppid(pid_t pid, pid_t *ret) {
 
         assert(pid >= 0);
 
-        if (pid == 0 || pid == getpid_cached()) {
+        if (pid == 0)
+                pid = getpid_cached();
+        if (pid == 1) /* PID 1 has no parent, shortcut this case */
+                return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
+
+        if (pid == getpid_cached()) {
                 if (ret)
                         *ret = getppid();
                 return 0;
         }
 
-        if (pid == 1) /* PID 1 has no parent, shortcut this case */
-                return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;
-
         p = procfs_file_alloca(pid, "stat");
         r = read_one_line_file(p, &line);
         if (r == -ENOENT)
@@ -724,7 +726,6 @@ int get_process_ppid(pid_t pid, pid_t *ret) {
         p = strrchr(line, ')');
         if (!p)
                 return -EIO;
-
         p++;
 
         if (sscanf(p, " "
@@ -733,9 +734,9 @@ int get_process_ppid(pid_t pid, pid_t *ret) {
                    &ppid) != 1)
                 return -EIO;
 
-        /* If ppid is zero the process has no parent. Which might be the case for PID 1 but also for
-         * processes originating in other namespaces that are inserted into a pidns. Return a recognizable
-         * error in this case. */
+        /* If ppid is zero the process has no parent. Which might be the case for PID 1 (caught above)
+         * but also for processes originating in other namespaces that are inserted into a pidns.
+         * Return a recognizable error in this case. */
         if (ppid == 0)
                 return -EADDRNOTAVAIL;