diff --git a/src/basic/cpu-set-util.h b/src/basic/cpu-set-util.h
index e09802ec9e..3ea6cdb09c 100644
--- a/src/basic/cpu-set-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/cpu-set-util.h
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@
 DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(cpu_set_t*, CPU_FREE);
 #define _cleanup_cpu_free_ _cleanup_(CPU_FREEp)
 
+static inline cpu_set_t* cpu_set_mfree(cpu_set_t *p) {
+        if (p)
+                CPU_FREE(p);
+        return NULL;
+}
+
 cpu_set_t* cpu_set_malloc(unsigned *ncpus);
 
 int parse_cpu_set_internal(const char *rvalue, cpu_set_t **cpu_set, bool warn, const char *unit, const char *filename, unsigned line, const char *lvalue);