diff --git a/src/basic/unit-name.c b/src/basic/unit-name.c
index 10405b711f..43d8b3477e 100644
--- a/src/basic/unit-name.c
+++ b/src/basic/unit-name.c
@@ -537,8 +537,7 @@ int unit_name_from_path(const char *path, const char *suffix, char **ret) {
 }
 
 int unit_name_from_path_instance(const char *prefix, const char *path, const char *suffix, char **ret) {
-        _cleanup_free_ char *p = NULL;
-        char *s;
+        _cleanup_free_ char *p = NULL, *s = NULL;
         int r;
 
         assert(prefix);
@@ -564,7 +563,7 @@ int unit_name_from_path_instance(const char *prefix, const char *path, const cha
         if (!unit_name_is_valid(s, UNIT_NAME_INSTANCE))
                 return -EINVAL;
 
-        *ret = s;
+        *ret = TAKE_PTR(s);
         return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/test-unit-name.c b/src/test/test-unit-name.c
index 6e294c72d6..0d524f9a56 100644
--- a/src/test/test-unit-name.c
+++ b/src/test/test-unit-name.c
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ static void test_unit_name_from_path(void) {
         test_unit_name_from_path_one("///", ".mount", "-.mount", 0);
         test_unit_name_from_path_one("/foo/../bar", ".mount", NULL, -EINVAL);
         test_unit_name_from_path_one("/foo/./bar", ".mount", NULL, -EINVAL);
+        test_unit_name_from_path_one("/waldoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", ".mount", NULL, -EINVAL);
 }
 
 static void test_unit_name_from_path_instance_one(const char *pattern, const char *path, const char *suffix, const char *expected, int ret) {
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ static void test_unit_name_from_path_instance(void) {
         test_unit_name_from_path_instance_one("waldo", "..", ".mount", NULL, -EINVAL);
         test_unit_name_from_path_instance_one("waldo", "/foo", ".waldi", NULL, -EINVAL);
         test_unit_name_from_path_instance_one("wa--ldo", "/--", ".mount", "wa--ldo@\\x2d\\x2d.mount", 0);
+        test_unit_name_from_path_instance_one("waldoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "/waldo", ".mount", NULL, -EINVAL);
 }
 
 static void test_unit_name_to_path_one(const char *unit, const char *path, int ret) {