diff --git a/src/core/manager.c b/src/core/manager.c
index 508b9fc934..277935bab2 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.c
+++ b/src/core/manager.c
@@ -1946,11 +1946,8 @@ static void manager_preset_all(Manager *m) {
         log_info("Applying preset policy.");
         r = unit_file_preset_all(RUNTIME_SCOPE_SYSTEM, /* file_flags= */ 0,
                                  /* root_dir= */ NULL, mode, &changes, &n_changes);
-        install_changes_dump(r, "preset", changes, n_changes, /* quiet= */ false);
-        if (r < 0)
-                log_full_errno(r == -EEXIST ? LOG_NOTICE : LOG_WARNING, r,
-                               "Failed to populate /etc with preset unit settings, ignoring: %m");
-        else
+        r = install_changes_dump(r, "preset all", changes, n_changes, /* quiet= */ false);
+        if (r >= 0)
                 log_info("Populated /etc with preset unit settings.");
 }
 
diff --git a/src/shared/install.c b/src/shared/install.c
index 7e3469efb0..dc27d53f09 100644
--- a/src/shared/install.c
+++ b/src/shared/install.c
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ int install_change_dump_error(const InstallChange *change, char **ret_errmsg, co
         return 0;
 }
 
-void install_changes_dump(
+int install_changes_dump(
                 int error,
                 const char *verb,
                 const InstallChange *changes,
@@ -494,6 +494,8 @@ void install_changes_dump(
         assert(verb || error >= 0);
         assert(changes || n_changes == 0);
 
+        /* An error is returned if 'error' contains an error or if any of the changes failed. */
+
         FOREACH_ARRAY(i, changes, n_changes)
                 if (i->type >= 0) {
                         if (!quiet)
@@ -505,17 +507,21 @@ void install_changes_dump(
 
                         r = install_change_dump_error(i, &err_message, /* ret_bus_error= */ NULL);
                         if (r == -ENOMEM)
-                                return (void) log_oom();
+                                return log_oom();
                         if (r < 0)
-                                log_error_errno(r, "Failed to %s unit %s: %m", verb, i->path);
+                                RET_GATHER(error,
+                                           log_error_errno(r, "Failed to %s unit %s: %m", verb, i->path));
                         else
-                                log_error_errno(i->type, "Failed to %s unit: %s", verb, err_message);
+                                RET_GATHER(error,
+                                           log_error_errno(i->type, "Failed to %s unit: %s", verb, err_message));
 
                         err_logged = true;
                 }
 
         if (error < 0 && !err_logged)
-                log_error_errno(error, "Failed to %s unit: %m.", verb);
+                log_error_errno(error, "Failed to %s units: %m.", verb);
+
+        return error;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -3692,7 +3698,7 @@ int unit_file_preset(
 
         STRV_FOREACH(name, names) {
                 r = preset_prepare_one(scope, &plus, &minus, &lp, *name, &presets, changes, n_changes);
-                if (r < 0)
+                if (r < 0 && !ERRNO_IS_NEG_UNIT_ISSUE(r))
                         return r;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/shared/install.h b/src/shared/install.h
index aa2e7c7f59..c4592fed35 100644
--- a/src/shared/install.h
+++ b/src/shared/install.h
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ InstallChangeType install_changes_add(InstallChange **changes, size_t *n_changes
 void install_changes_free(InstallChange *changes, size_t n_changes);
 
 int install_change_dump_error(const InstallChange *change, char **ret_errmsg, const char **ret_bus_error);
-void install_changes_dump(
+int install_changes_dump(
                 int error,
                 const char *verb,
                 const InstallChange *changes,
diff --git a/src/systemctl/systemctl-add-dependency.c b/src/systemctl/systemctl-add-dependency.c
index b1fd924209..bc1a1f00f6 100644
--- a/src/systemctl/systemctl-add-dependency.c
+++ b/src/systemctl/systemctl-add-dependency.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ int verb_add_dependency(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                 CLEANUP_ARRAY(changes, n_changes, install_changes_free);
 
                 r = unit_file_add_dependency(arg_runtime_scope, unit_file_flags_from_args(), arg_root, names, target, dep, &changes, &n_changes);
-                install_changes_dump(r, "add dependency on", changes, n_changes, arg_quiet);
+                r = install_changes_dump(r, "add dependency on", changes, n_changes, arg_quiet);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         } else {
diff --git a/src/systemctl/systemctl-enable.c b/src/systemctl/systemctl-enable.c
index 72e222c2cb..f6277b7287 100644
--- a/src/systemctl/systemctl-enable.c
+++ b/src/systemctl/systemctl-enable.c
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ int verb_enable(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                 else
                         assert_not_reached();
 
-                install_changes_dump(r, verb, changes, n_changes, arg_quiet);
+                r = install_changes_dump(r, verb, changes, n_changes, arg_quiet);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
diff --git a/src/systemctl/systemctl-preset-all.c b/src/systemctl/systemctl-preset-all.c
index bf681a6d36..bcc001fab7 100644
--- a/src/systemctl/systemctl-preset-all.c
+++ b/src/systemctl/systemctl-preset-all.c
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ int verb_preset_all(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                 CLEANUP_ARRAY(changes, n_changes, install_changes_free);
 
                 r = unit_file_preset_all(arg_runtime_scope, unit_file_flags_from_args(), arg_root, arg_preset_mode, &changes, &n_changes);
-                install_changes_dump(r, "preset", changes, n_changes, arg_quiet);
+                /* We do not treat propagate failure of individual units here. */
+                (void) install_changes_dump(r, "preset all", changes, n_changes, arg_quiet);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         } else {
diff --git a/src/systemctl/systemctl-set-default.c b/src/systemctl/systemctl-set-default.c
index 3a8e3969e2..c4faa31b4c 100644
--- a/src/systemctl/systemctl-set-default.c
+++ b/src/systemctl/systemctl-set-default.c
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ int verb_set_default(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                 CLEANUP_ARRAY(changes, n_changes, install_changes_free);
 
                 r = unit_file_set_default(arg_runtime_scope, UNIT_FILE_FORCE, arg_root, unit, &changes, &n_changes);
-                install_changes_dump(r, "set default", changes, n_changes, arg_quiet);
+                r = install_changes_dump(r, "set default", changes, n_changes, arg_quiet);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         } else {