diff --git a/src/basic/unit-name.c b/src/basic/unit-name.c
index 29ffd81ea9..284a773483 100644
--- a/src/basic/unit-name.c
+++ b/src/basic/unit-name.c
@@ -528,6 +528,9 @@ int unit_name_from_path(const char *path, const char *suffix, char **ret) {
         if (!s)
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
+        if (strlen(s) >= UNIT_NAME_MAX) /* Return a slightly more descriptive error for this specific condition */
+                return -ENAMETOOLONG;
+
         /* Refuse this if this got too long or for some other reason didn't result in a valid name */
         if (!unit_name_is_valid(s, UNIT_NAME_PLAIN))
                 return -EINVAL;
@@ -559,6 +562,9 @@ int unit_name_from_path_instance(const char *prefix, const char *path, const cha
         if (!s)
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
+        if (strlen(s) >= UNIT_NAME_MAX) /* Return a slightly more descriptive error for this specific condition */
+                return -ENAMETOOLONG;
+
         /* Refuse this if this got too long or for some other reason didn't result in a valid name */
         if (!unit_name_is_valid(s, UNIT_NAME_INSTANCE))
                 return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/src/test/test-unit-name.c b/src/test/test-unit-name.c
index 0bce571fed..d737043220 100644
--- a/src/test/test-unit-name.c
+++ b/src/test/test-unit-name.c
@@ -130,7 +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", "foo-bar.mount", 0);
-        test_unit_name_from_path_one("/waldoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", ".mount", NULL, -EINVAL);
+        test_unit_name_from_path_one("/waldoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", ".mount", NULL, -ENAMETOOLONG);
 }
 
 static void test_unit_name_from_path_instance_one(const char *pattern, const char *path, const char *suffix, const char *expected, int ret) {
@@ -160,7 +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);
+        test_unit_name_from_path_instance_one("waldoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa", "/waldo", ".mount", NULL, -ENAMETOOLONG);
 }
 
 static void test_unit_name_to_path_one(const char *unit, const char *path, int ret) {