diff --git a/src/analyze/analyze-image-policy.c b/src/analyze/analyze-image-policy.c
index f7075c60a6..2075d1b437 100644
--- a/src/analyze/analyze-image-policy.c
+++ b/src/analyze/analyze-image-policy.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ int verb_image_policy(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                 else if (streq(argv[i], "@host"))
                         p = &image_policy_host;
                 else {
-                        r = image_policy_from_string(argv[i], &pbuf);
+                        r = image_policy_from_string(argv[i], /* graceful= */ false, &pbuf);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse image policy '%s': %m", argv[i]);
 
diff --git a/src/core/dbus-execute.c b/src/core/dbus-execute.c
index 83b0ddcb9e..5a0b083b97 100644
--- a/src/core/dbus-execute.c
+++ b/src/core/dbus-execute.c
@@ -4308,7 +4308,7 @@ int bus_exec_context_set_transient_property(
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
 
-                r = image_policy_from_string(s, &p);
+                r = image_policy_from_string(s, /* graceful= */ true, &p);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return sd_bus_error_setf(reterr_error, SD_BUS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS, "Failed to parse image policy string: %s", s);
 
diff --git a/src/core/execute-serialize.c b/src/core/execute-serialize.c
index 02435447d7..bed2776889 100644
--- a/src/core/execute-serialize.c
+++ b/src/core/execute-serialize.c
@@ -3740,21 +3740,21 @@ static int exec_context_deserialize(ExecContext *c, FILE *f) {
                         if (c->root_image_policy)
                                 return -EINVAL; /* duplicated */
 
-                        r = image_policy_from_string(val, &c->root_image_policy);
+                        r = image_policy_from_string(val, /* graceful= */ true, &c->root_image_policy);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 return r;
                 } else if ((val = startswith(l, "exec-context-mount-image-policy="))) {
                         if (c->mount_image_policy)
                                 return -EINVAL; /* duplicated */
 
-                        r = image_policy_from_string(val, &c->mount_image_policy);
+                        r = image_policy_from_string(val, /* graceful= */ true, &c->mount_image_policy);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 return r;
                 } else if ((val = startswith(l, "exec-context-extension-image-policy="))) {
                         if (c->extension_image_policy)
                                 return -EINVAL; /* duplicated */
 
-                        r = image_policy_from_string(val, &c->extension_image_policy);
+                        r = image_policy_from_string(val, /* graceful= */ true, &c->extension_image_policy);
                         if (r < 0)
                                 return r;
                 } else
diff --git a/src/mountfsd/mountwork.c b/src/mountfsd/mountwork.c
index 7e4c5063fa..24f6e23e23 100644
--- a/src/mountfsd/mountwork.c
+++ b/src/mountfsd/mountwork.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static int json_dispatch_image_policy(const char *name, sd_json_variant *variant
         if (!sd_json_variant_is_string(variant))
                 return json_log(variant, flags, SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL), "JSON field '%s' is not a string.", strna(name));
 
-        r = image_policy_from_string(sd_json_variant_string(variant), &q);
+        r = image_policy_from_string(sd_json_variant_string(variant), /* graceful= */ false, &q);
         if (r < 0)
                 return json_log(variant, flags, r, "JSON field '%s' is not a valid image policy.", strna(name));
 
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ static int determine_image_policy(
 
         e = secure_getenv(envvar);
         if (e) {
-                r = image_policy_from_string(e, &envvar_policy);
+                r = image_policy_from_string(e, /* graceful= */ false, &envvar_policy);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse image policy supplied via $%s: %m", envvar);
 
diff --git a/src/shared/image-policy.c b/src/shared/image-policy.c
index 7a248318eb..bd758ea1c9 100644
--- a/src/shared/image-policy.c
+++ b/src/shared/image-policy.c
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ static PartitionPolicyFlags policy_flag_from_string_one(const char *s) {
         return _PARTITION_POLICY_FLAGS_INVALID;
 }
 
-PartitionPolicyFlags partition_policy_flags_from_string(const char *s) {
+PartitionPolicyFlags partition_policy_flags_from_string(const char *s, bool graceful) {
         PartitionPolicyFlags flags = 0;
         int r;
 
@@ -229,8 +229,13 @@ PartitionPolicyFlags partition_policy_flags_from_string(const char *s) {
                         break;
 
                 ff = policy_flag_from_string_one(strstrip(f));
-                if (ff < 0)
+                if (ff < 0) {
+                        if (graceful) {
+                                log_debug("Unknown partition policy flag: %s, ignoring", f);
+                                continue;
+                        }
                         return -EBADRQC; /* recognizable error */
+                }
 
                 flags |= ff;
         }
@@ -254,7 +259,7 @@ static ImagePolicy* image_policy_new(size_t n_policies) {
         return p;
 }
 
-int image_policy_from_string(const char *s, ImagePolicy **ret) {
+int image_policy_from_string(const char *s, bool graceful, ImagePolicy **ret) {
         _cleanup_free_ ImagePolicy *p = NULL;
         uint64_t dmask = 0;
         ImagePolicy *t;
@@ -336,15 +341,20 @@ int image_policy_from_string(const char *s, ImagePolicy **ret) {
                         default_specified = true;
                 } else {
                         designator = partition_designator_from_string(ds);
-                        if (designator < 0)
-                                return log_debug_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EBADSLT), "Unknown partition designator: %s", ds); /* recognizable error */
+                        if (designator < 0) {
+                                if (!graceful)
+                                        return log_debug_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EBADSLT), "Unknown partition designator: %s", ds); /* recognizable error */
+
+                                log_debug("Unknown partition designator: %s, ignoring", ds);
+                                continue;
+                        }
                         if (dmask & (UINT64_C(1) << designator))
                                 return log_debug_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOTUNIQ), "Partition designator specified more than once: %s", ds);
                         dmask |= UINT64_C(1) << designator;
                 }
 
                 fs = strstrip(f);
-                flags = partition_policy_flags_from_string(fs);
+                flags = partition_policy_flags_from_string(fs, graceful);
                 if (flags == -EBADRQC)
                         return log_debug_errno(flags, "Unknown partition policy flag: %s", fs);
                 if (flags < 0)
@@ -651,7 +661,7 @@ int config_parse_image_policy(
                 return 0;
         }
 
-        r = image_policy_from_string(rvalue, &np);
+        r = image_policy_from_string(rvalue, /* graceful */ true, &np);
         if (r == -ENOTUNIQ)
                 return log_syntax(unit, LOG_ERR, filename, line, r, "Duplicate rule in image policy, refusing: %s", rvalue);
         if (r == -EBADSLT)
@@ -678,7 +688,7 @@ int parse_image_policy_argument(const char *s, ImagePolicy **policy) {
          * Hence, do not pass in uninitialized pointers.
          */
 
-        r = image_policy_from_string(s, &np);
+        r = image_policy_from_string(s, /* graceful= */ false, &np);
         if (r == -ENOTUNIQ)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Duplicate rule in image policy: %s", s);
         if (r == -EBADSLT)
diff --git a/src/shared/image-policy.h b/src/shared/image-policy.h
index 6fdd8abe32..037900b840 100644
--- a/src/shared/image-policy.h
+++ b/src/shared/image-policy.h
@@ -80,10 +80,10 @@ static inline size_t image_policy_n_entries(const ImagePolicy *policy) {
 PartitionPolicyFlags partition_policy_flags_extend(PartitionPolicyFlags flags);
 PartitionPolicyFlags partition_policy_flags_reduce(PartitionPolicyFlags flags);
 
-PartitionPolicyFlags partition_policy_flags_from_string(const char *s);
+PartitionPolicyFlags partition_policy_flags_from_string(const char *s, bool graceful);
 int partition_policy_flags_to_string(PartitionPolicyFlags flags, bool simplify, char **ret);
 
-int image_policy_from_string(const char *s, ImagePolicy **ret);
+int image_policy_from_string(const char *s, bool graceful, ImagePolicy **ret);
 int image_policy_to_string(const ImagePolicy *policy, bool simplify, char **ret);
 
 /* Recognizes three special policies by equivalence */
diff --git a/src/test/test-image-policy.c b/src/test/test-image-policy.c
index f35bfc6881..6cf7dff20b 100644
--- a/src/test/test-image-policy.c
+++ b/src/test/test-image-policy.c
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ static void test_policy(const ImagePolicy *p, const char *name) {
 
         printf("%s\n", ansi_normal());
 
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(as_string, &parsed) >= 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(as_string, /* graceful= */ false, &parsed) >= 0);
         assert_se(image_policy_equal(p, parsed));
         parsed = image_policy_free(parsed);
 
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(as_string_simplified, &parsed) >= 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(as_string_simplified, /* graceful= */ false, &parsed) >= 0);
         assert_se(image_policy_equivalent(p, parsed));
         parsed = image_policy_free(parsed);
 
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ static void test_policy(const ImagePolicy *p, const char *name) {
 static void test_policy_string(const char *t) {
         _cleanup_free_ ImagePolicy *parsed = NULL;
 
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(t, &parsed) >= 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(t, /* graceful= */ false, &parsed) >= 0);
         test_policy(parsed, t);
 }
 
 static void test_policy_equiv(const char *s, bool (*func)(const ImagePolicy *p)) {
         _cleanup_(image_policy_freep) ImagePolicy *p = NULL;
 
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(s, &p) >= 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(s, /* graceful= */ false, &p) >= 0);
 
         assert_se(func(p));
         assert_se(func == image_policy_equiv_ignore || !image_policy_equiv_ignore(p));
@@ -106,15 +106,25 @@ TEST_RET(test_image_policy_to_string) {
         test_policy_equiv("=unused+absent", image_policy_equiv_ignore);
         test_policy_equiv("root=ignore:=ignore", image_policy_equiv_ignore);
 
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("pfft", NULL) == -EINVAL);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("öäüß", NULL) == -EINVAL);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(":", NULL) == -EINVAL);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("a=", NULL) == -EBADSLT);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("=a", NULL) == -EBADRQC);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("==", NULL) == -EBADRQC);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("root=verity:root=encrypted", NULL) == -ENOTUNIQ);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("root=grbl", NULL) == -EBADRQC);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("wowza=grbl", NULL) == -EBADSLT);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("pfft", /* graceful= */ false, NULL) == -EINVAL);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("öäüß", /* graceful= */ false, NULL) == -EINVAL);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(":", /* graceful= */ false, NULL) == -EINVAL);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("a=", /* graceful= */ false, NULL) == -EBADSLT);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("=a", /* graceful= */ false, NULL) == -EBADRQC);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("==", /* graceful= */ false, NULL) == -EBADRQC);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("root=verity:root=encrypted", /* graceful= */ false, NULL) == -ENOTUNIQ);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("root=grbl", /* graceful= */ false, NULL) == -EBADRQC);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("wowza=grbl", /* graceful= */ false, NULL) == -EBADSLT);
+
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("pfft", /* graceful= */ true, NULL) == -EINVAL);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("öäüß", /* graceful= */ true, NULL) == -EINVAL);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(":", /* graceful= */ true, NULL) == -EINVAL);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("a=", /* graceful= */ true, NULL) == 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("=a", /* graceful= */ true, NULL) == 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("==", /* graceful= */ true, NULL) == 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("root=verity:root=encrypted", /* graceful= */ true, NULL) == -ENOTUNIQ);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("root=grbl", /* graceful= */ true, NULL) == 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string("wowza=grbl", /* graceful= */ true, NULL) == 0);
 
         return 0;
 }
@@ -131,9 +141,9 @@ TEST(extend) {
 static void test_policy_intersect_one(const char *a, const char *b, const char *c) {
         _cleanup_(image_policy_freep) ImagePolicy *x = NULL, *y = NULL, *z = NULL, *t = NULL;
 
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(a, &x) >= 0);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(b, &y) >= 0);
-        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(c, &z) >= 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(a, /* graceful= */ false, &x) >= 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(b, /* graceful= */ false, &y) >= 0);
+        assert_se(image_policy_from_string(c, /* graceful= */ false, &z) >= 0);
 
         assert_se(image_policy_intersect(x, y, &t) >= 0);
 
@@ -163,8 +173,8 @@ TEST(image_policy_intersect) {
 static void test_policy_ignore_designators_one(const char *a, const PartitionDesignator array[], size_t n, const char *b) {
         _cleanup_(image_policy_freep) ImagePolicy *x = NULL, *y = NULL, *t = NULL;
 
-        ASSERT_OK(image_policy_from_string(a, &x));
-        ASSERT_OK(image_policy_from_string(b, &y));
+        ASSERT_OK(image_policy_from_string(a, /* graceful= */ false, &x));
+        ASSERT_OK(image_policy_from_string(b, /* graceful= */ false, &y));
 
         _cleanup_free_ char *s1 = NULL, *s2 = NULL, *s3 = NULL;
         ASSERT_OK(image_policy_to_string(x, true, &s1));
diff --git a/src/udev/udev-builtin-dissect_image.c b/src/udev/udev-builtin-dissect_image.c
index 1f3728d229..8b706a7f9a 100644
--- a/src/udev/udev-builtin-dissect_image.c
+++ b/src/udev/udev-builtin-dissect_image.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ static int acquire_image_policy(ImagePolicy **ret) {
                 return 0;
         }
 
-        r = image_policy_from_string(value, ret);
+        r = image_policy_from_string(value, /* graceful= */ false, ret);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse image policy '%s': %m", value);
 
diff --git a/test/units/TEST-50-DISSECT.dissect.sh b/test/units/TEST-50-DISSECT.dissect.sh
index 742fcf1d2f..47d6defafd 100755
--- a/test/units/TEST-50-DISSECT.dissect.sh
+++ b/test/units/TEST-50-DISSECT.dissect.sh
@@ -237,6 +237,12 @@ systemd-run --wait -P \
             -p RootImagePolicy='root=signed' \
             -p MountAPIVFS=yes \
             cat /usr/lib/os-release | grep -F "MARKER=1" >/dev/null
+systemd-run --wait -P \
+            -p RootImage="$MINIMAL_IMAGE.gpt" \
+            -p RootHash="$MINIMAL_IMAGE_ROOTHASH" \
+            -p RootImagePolicy='root=signed+lol:wut=wat+signed' \
+            -p MountAPIVFS=yes \
+            cat /usr/lib/os-release | grep -F "MARKER=1" >/dev/null
 (! systemd-run --wait -P \
                -p RootImage="$MINIMAL_IMAGE.gpt" \
                -p RootHash="$MINIMAL_IMAGE_ROOTHASH" \