diff --git a/src/core/cgroup.c b/src/core/cgroup.c
index abc30e3990..c942db8d05 100644
--- a/src/core/cgroup.c
+++ b/src/core/cgroup.c
@@ -2283,8 +2283,11 @@ int unit_attach_pids_to_cgroup(Unit *u, Set *pids, const char *suffix_path) {
                                 z = unit_attach_pid_to_cgroup_via_bus(u, pid, suffix_path);
                                 if (z < 0)
                                         log_unit_info_errno(u, z, "Couldn't move process "PID_FMT" to requested cgroup '%s' (directly or via the system bus): %m", pid, empty_to_root(p));
-                                else
+                                else {
+                                        if (ret >= 0)
+                                                ret++; /* Count successful additions */
                                         continue; /* When the bus thing worked via the bus we are fully done for this PID. */
+                                }
                         }
 
                         if (ret >= 0)