diff --git a/src/basic/chase-symlinks.c b/src/basic/chase-symlinks.c
index 35fa97773b..0bb07000ba 100644
--- a/src/basic/chase-symlinks.c
+++ b/src/basic/chase-symlinks.c
@@ -460,9 +460,7 @@ int chase_symlinks(
                                               SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ECHRNG),
                                               "Specified path '%s' is outside of specified root directory '%s', refusing to resolve.",
                                               absolute, root);
-        }
 
-        if (root) {
                 fd = open(root, O_CLOEXEC|O_DIRECTORY|O_PATH);
                 if (fd < 0)
                         return -errno;
diff --git a/src/basic/fs-util.c b/src/basic/fs-util.c
index c70926c12c..4d24cd59de 100644
--- a/src/basic/fs-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/fs-util.c
@@ -197,6 +197,8 @@ int readlink_and_make_absolute(const char *p, char **r) {
 int chmod_and_chown_at(int dir_fd, const char *path, mode_t mode, uid_t uid, gid_t gid) {
         _cleanup_close_ int fd = -1;
 
+        assert(dir_fd >= 0 || dir_fd == AT_FDCWD);
+
         if (path) {
                 /* Let's acquire an O_PATH fd, as precaution to change mode/owner on the same file */
                 fd = openat(dir_fd, path, O_PATH|O_CLOEXEC|O_NOFOLLOW);
diff --git a/src/basic/path-util.c b/src/basic/path-util.c
index f6c2d662b2..bf93990fde 100644
--- a/src/basic/path-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/path-util.c
@@ -221,33 +221,6 @@ int path_make_relative_parent(const char *from_child, const char *to, char **ret
         return path_make_relative(from, to, ret);
 }
 
-int path_make_relative_cwd(const char *p, char **ret) {
-        char *c;
-        int r;
-
-        assert(p);
-        assert(ret);
-
-        if (path_is_absolute(p)) {
-                _cleanup_free_ char *cwd = NULL;
-
-                r = safe_getcwd(&cwd);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
-
-                r = path_make_relative(cwd, p, &c);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
-        } else {
-                c = strdup(p);
-                if (!c)
-                        return -ENOMEM;
-        }
-
-        *ret = TAKE_PTR(c);
-        return 0;
-}
-
 char* path_startswith_strv(const char *p, char **set) {
         STRV_FOREACH(s, set) {
                 char *t;
diff --git a/src/basic/path-util.h b/src/basic/path-util.h
index f93455df3b..22d3632e6e 100644
--- a/src/basic/path-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/path-util.h
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ int safe_getcwd(char **ret);
 int path_make_absolute_cwd(const char *p, char **ret);
 int path_make_relative(const char *from, const char *to, char **ret);
 int path_make_relative_parent(const char *from_child, const char *to, char **ret);
-int path_make_relative_cwd(const char *from, char **ret);
 char *path_startswith_full(const char *path, const char *prefix, bool accept_dot_dot) _pure_;
 static inline char* path_startswith(const char *path, const char *prefix) {
         return path_startswith_full(path, prefix, true);
diff --git a/src/basic/tmpfile-util.c b/src/basic/tmpfile-util.c
index e0e58472d3..909057429d 100644
--- a/src/basic/tmpfile-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/tmpfile-util.c
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ int fopen_temporary_at(int dir_fd, const char *path, FILE **ret_file, char **ret
         _cleanup_close_ int fd = -1;
         int r;
 
+        assert(dir_fd >= 0 || dir_fd == AT_FDCWD);
+
         if (path) {
                 r = tempfn_random(path, NULL, &t);
                 if (r < 0)
diff --git a/src/shared/rm-rf.h b/src/shared/rm-rf.h
index 86d3e57b0e..24fd9a2aa2 100644
--- a/src/shared/rm-rf.h
+++ b/src/shared/rm-rf.h
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 
 #include "alloc-util.h"
 #include "errno-util.h"
-#include "fd-util.h"
 
 typedef enum RemoveFlags {
         REMOVE_ONLY_DIRECTORIES = 1 << 0, /* Only remove empty directories, no files */
@@ -52,19 +51,3 @@ static inline char *rm_rf_subvolume_and_free(char *p) {
         return mfree(p);
 }
 DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(char*, rm_rf_subvolume_and_free);
-
-static inline int rm_rf_physical_and_close(int fd) {
-        _cleanup_free_ char *p = NULL;
-
-        if (fd < 0)
-                return -1;
-
-        if (fd_get_path(fd, &p) < 0)
-                return safe_close(fd);
-
-        safe_close(fd);
-        (void) rm_rf(p, REMOVE_ROOT|REMOVE_PHYSICAL|REMOVE_MISSING_OK|REMOVE_CHMOD);
-
-        return -1;
-}
-DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(int, rm_rf_physical_and_close);
diff --git a/src/test/test-copy.c b/src/test/test-copy.c
index 103f7ca73c..8177f6e33b 100644
--- a/src/test/test-copy.c
+++ b/src/test/test-copy.c
@@ -77,11 +77,12 @@ TEST(copy_tree_replace_file) {
 }
 
 TEST(copy_tree_replace_dirs) {
-        _cleanup_(rm_rf_physical_and_closep) int src = -1, dst = -1;
+        _cleanup_(rm_rf_physical_and_freep) char *srcp = NULL, *dstp = NULL;
+        _cleanup_close_ int src = -1, dst = -1;
 
         /* Create the random source/destination directories */
-        assert_se((src = mkdtemp_open(NULL, 0, NULL)) >= 0);
-        assert_se((dst = mkdtemp_open(NULL, 0, NULL)) >= 0);
+        assert_se((src = mkdtemp_open(NULL, 0, &srcp)) >= 0);
+        assert_se((dst = mkdtemp_open(NULL, 0, &dstp)) >= 0);
 
         /* Populate some data to differentiate the files. */
         assert_se(write_string_file_at(src, "foo", "src file 1", WRITE_STRING_FILE_CREATE) >= 0);