diff --git a/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-server.c b/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-server.c
index 6ec84405d9..c3b0f82dc4 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-server.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-server.c
@@ -1592,6 +1592,7 @@ int sd_dhcp_server_set_lease_file(sd_dhcp_server *server, int dir_fd, const char
         int r;
 
         assert_return(server, -EINVAL);
+        assert_return(!path || (dir_fd >= 0 || dir_fd == AT_FDCWD), -EBADF);
         assert_return(!sd_dhcp_server_is_running(server), -EBUSY);
 
         if (!path) {
@@ -1604,11 +1605,7 @@ int sd_dhcp_server_set_lease_file(sd_dhcp_server *server, int dir_fd, const char
         if (!path_is_safe(path))
                 return -EINVAL;
 
-        if (dir_fd < 0 && dir_fd != AT_FDCWD)
-                return -EBADF;
-
-        _cleanup_close_ int fd = -EBADF;
-        fd = fd_reopen(dir_fd, O_CLOEXEC | O_DIRECTORY | O_PATH);
+        _cleanup_close_ int fd = fd_reopen(dir_fd, O_CLOEXEC | O_DIRECTORY | O_PATH);
         if (fd < 0)
                 return fd;
 
@@ -1616,6 +1613,7 @@ int sd_dhcp_server_set_lease_file(sd_dhcp_server *server, int dir_fd, const char
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        server->lease_dir_fd = TAKE_FD(fd);
+        close_and_replace(server->lease_dir_fd, fd);
+
         return 0;
 }