diff --git a/src/home/homework-cifs.c b/src/home/homework-cifs.c
index 34cc3bbc9a..0a95b886b3 100644
--- a/src/home/homework-cifs.c
+++ b/src/home/homework-cifs.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ int home_setup_cifs(
                 char **pw;
                 int r;
 
-                r = home_unshare_and_mount(NULL, NULL, false, user_record_mount_flags(h));
+                r = home_unshare_and_mkdir();
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
 
diff --git a/src/home/homework-mount.c b/src/home/homework-mount.c
index 89ae58e25f..47345eb839 100644
--- a/src/home/homework-mount.c
+++ b/src/home/homework-mount.c
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ int home_mount_node(const char *node, const char *fstype, bool discard, unsigned
         const char *options, *discard_option;
         int r;
 
+        assert(node);
+        assert(fstype);
+
         options = mount_options_for_fstype(fstype);
 
         discard_option = discard ? "discard" : "nodiscard";
@@ -47,7 +50,7 @@ int home_mount_node(const char *node, const char *fstype, bool discard, unsigned
         return 0;
 }
 
-int home_unshare_and_mount(const char *node, const char *fstype, bool discard, unsigned long flags) {
+int home_unshare_and_mkdir(void) {
         int r;
 
         if (unshare(CLONE_NEWNS) < 0)
@@ -60,13 +63,22 @@ int home_unshare_and_mount(const char *node, const char *fstype, bool discard, u
                 return r;
 
         (void) mkdir_p(HOME_RUNTIME_WORK_DIR, 0700);
-
-        if (node)
-                return home_mount_node(node, fstype, discard, flags);
-
         return 0;
 }
 
+int home_unshare_and_mount(const char *node, const char *fstype, bool discard, unsigned long flags) {
+        int r;
+
+        assert(node);
+        assert(fstype);
+
+        r = home_unshare_and_mkdir();
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        return home_mount_node(node, fstype, discard, flags);
+}
+
 int home_move_mount(const char *user_name_and_realm, const char *target) {
         _cleanup_free_ char *subdir = NULL;
         const char *d;
diff --git a/src/home/homework-mount.h b/src/home/homework-mount.h
index 2a4591c1f4..893ecdc586 100644
--- a/src/home/homework-mount.h
+++ b/src/home/homework-mount.h
@@ -4,5 +4,6 @@
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
 int home_mount_node(const char *node, const char *fstype, bool discard, unsigned long flags);
+int home_unshare_and_mkdir(void);
 int home_unshare_and_mount(const char *node, const char *fstype, bool discard, unsigned long flags);
 int home_move_mount(const char *user_name_and_realm, const char *target);