diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c
index 12aa980593..779c5fc310 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c
@@ -2415,7 +2415,7 @@ static int inode_data_realize_watch(sd_event *e, struct inode_data *d) {
 
         wd = inotify_add_watch_fd(d->inotify_data->fd, d->fd, combined_mask);
         if (wd < 0)
-                return -errno;
+                return wd;
 
         if (d->wd < 0) {
                 r = hashmap_put(d->inotify_data->wd, INT_TO_PTR(wd), d);
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c
index a4ed3804d8..713cdcc0ec 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-journal/sd-journal.c
@@ -1973,7 +1973,7 @@ static void directory_watch(sd_journal *j, Directory *m, int fd, uint32_t mask)
 
         m->wd = inotify_add_watch_fd(j->inotify_fd, fd, mask);
         if (m->wd < 0) {
-                log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to watch journal directory '%s', ignoring: %m", m->path);
+                log_debug_errno(m->wd, "Failed to watch journal directory '%s', ignoring: %m", m->path);
                 return;
         }