diff --git a/src/core/dbus-manager.c b/src/core/dbus-manager.c
index fec53341ca..088d6c508e 100644
--- a/src/core/dbus-manager.c
+++ b/src/core/dbus-manager.c
@@ -1543,17 +1543,20 @@ static int method_refuse_snapshot(sd_bus_message *message, void *userdata, sd_bu
 static void log_caller(sd_bus_message *message, Manager *manager, const char *method) {
         _cleanup_(sd_bus_creds_unrefp) sd_bus_creds *creds = NULL;
         _cleanup_(pidref_done) PidRef pidref = PIDREF_NULL;
+        int r;
 
         assert(message);
         assert(manager);
         assert(method);
 
-        if (sd_bus_query_sender_creds(message, SD_BUS_CREDS_PID|SD_BUS_CREDS_PIDFD|SD_BUS_CREDS_AUGMENT, &creds) < 0)
-                return;
-
-        /* We need at least the PID, otherwise there's nothing to log, the rest is optional. */
-        if (bus_creds_get_pidref(creds, &pidref) < 0)
-                return;
+        r = sd_bus_query_sender_creds(message, SD_BUS_CREDS_PID|SD_BUS_CREDS_PIDFD|SD_BUS_CREDS_AUGMENT, &creds);
+        if (r < 0)
+                log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get dbus sender creds, ignoring: %m");
+        else {
+                r = bus_creds_get_pidref(creds, &pidref);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get peer pidref, ignoring: %m");
+        }
 
         manager_log_caller(manager, &pidref, method);
 }
diff --git a/src/core/varlink-manager.c b/src/core/varlink-manager.c
index bad3720632..8082b000aa 100644
--- a/src/core/varlink-manager.c
+++ b/src/core/varlink-manager.c
@@ -405,19 +405,19 @@ int vl_method_enqueue_marked_jobs_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *par
 
 static int manager_do_set_objective(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, ManagerObjective objective, const char *selinux_permission, bool can_do_root) {
         Manager *m = ASSERT_PTR(sd_varlink_get_userdata(link));
-        _cleanup_free_ char *rt = NULL;
-        const char *root = NULL;
+        _cleanup_free_ char *root = NULL;
         int r;
 
         assert(link);
         assert(parameters);
+        assert(selinux_permission);
 
         if (!MANAGER_IS_SYSTEM(m))
                 return sd_varlink_error(link, SD_VARLINK_ERROR_METHOD_NOT_IMPLEMENTED, NULL);
 
         if (can_do_root) {
                 static const sd_json_dispatch_field dispatch_table[] = {
-                        { "root", SD_JSON_VARIANT_STRING, sd_json_dispatch_const_string, 0, 0 },
+                        { "root", SD_JSON_VARIANT_STRING, json_dispatch_path, 0, 0 },
                         {}
                 };
 
@@ -431,49 +431,40 @@ static int manager_do_set_objective(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameter
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        /* dbus uses SD_BUS_VTABLE_CAPABILITY(CAP_SYS_BOOT) in its checking. We cannot do the same
-         * because reading capabilities from /proc is racy (TOCTOU). So we use the stricter check
-         * TODO: figure out a way to check for CAP_SYS_BOOT */
         r = varlink_check_privileged_peer(link);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        if (!isempty(root)) {
-                if (!path_is_valid(root))
-                        return sd_varlink_error_invalid_parameter_name(link, "root");
-                if (!path_is_absolute(root))
-                        return sd_varlink_error_invalid_parameter_name(link, "root");
-
-                r = path_simplify_alloc(root, &rt);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
+        if (root) {
+                assert(can_do_root);
+                path_simplify(root);
         }
 
         varlink_log_caller(link, m, manager_objective_to_string(objective));
 
         if (can_do_root)
-                free_and_replace(m->switch_root, rt);
+                free_and_replace(m->switch_root, root);
         m->objective = objective;
 
         return sd_varlink_reply(link, NULL);
 }
 
-int vl_method_poweroff_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
+int vl_method_poweroff(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
         return manager_do_set_objective(link, parameters, MANAGER_POWEROFF, "halt", /* can_do_root= */ false);
 }
 
-int vl_method_reboot_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
+int vl_method_reboot(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
         return manager_do_set_objective(link, parameters, MANAGER_REBOOT, "reboot", /* can_do_root= */ false);
 }
 
-int vl_method_halt_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
+int vl_method_halt(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
         return manager_do_set_objective(link, parameters, MANAGER_HALT, "halt", /* can_do_root= */ false);
 }
 
-int vl_method_kexec_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
+int vl_method_kexec(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
         return manager_do_set_objective(link, parameters, MANAGER_KEXEC, "reboot", /* can_do_root= */ false);
 }
 
-int vl_method_soft_reboot_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
+int vl_method_soft_reboot(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata) {
         return manager_do_set_objective(link, parameters, MANAGER_SOFT_REBOOT, "reboot", /* can_do_root= */ true);
 }
diff --git a/src/core/varlink-manager.h b/src/core/varlink-manager.h
index 0e477e761b..46c737f9a9 100644
--- a/src/core/varlink-manager.h
+++ b/src/core/varlink-manager.h
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ int vl_method_describe_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd
 int vl_method_reexecute_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
 int vl_method_reload_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
 int vl_method_enqueue_marked_jobs_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
-int vl_method_poweroff_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
-int vl_method_reboot_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
-int vl_method_halt_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
-int vl_method_kexec_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
-int vl_method_soft_reboot_manager(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
+
+int vl_method_poweroff(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
+int vl_method_reboot(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
+int vl_method_halt(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
+int vl_method_kexec(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
+int vl_method_soft_reboot(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink_method_flags_t flags, void *userdata);
diff --git a/src/core/varlink.c b/src/core/varlink.c
index 77b2d3bd82..533d1061b8 100644
--- a/src/core/varlink.c
+++ b/src/core/varlink.c
@@ -390,11 +390,11 @@ int manager_setup_varlink_server(Manager *m) {
                         "io.systemd.Manager.Reexecute", vl_method_reexecute_manager,
                         "io.systemd.Manager.Reload", vl_method_reload_manager,
                         "io.systemd.Manager.EnqueueMarkedJobs", vl_method_enqueue_marked_jobs_manager,
-                        "io.systemd.Manager.PowerOff", vl_method_poweroff_manager,
-                        "io.systemd.Manager.Reboot", vl_method_reboot_manager,
-                        "io.systemd.Manager.Halt", vl_method_halt_manager,
-                        "io.systemd.Manager.KExec", vl_method_kexec_manager,
-                        "io.systemd.Manager.SoftReboot", vl_method_soft_reboot_manager,
+                        "io.systemd.Manager.PowerOff", vl_method_poweroff,
+                        "io.systemd.Manager.Reboot", vl_method_reboot,
+                        "io.systemd.Manager.Halt", vl_method_halt,
+                        "io.systemd.Manager.KExec", vl_method_kexec,
+                        "io.systemd.Manager.SoftReboot", vl_method_soft_reboot,
                         "io.systemd.Unit.List", vl_method_list_units,
                         "io.systemd.Unit.SetProperties", vl_method_set_unit_properties,
                         "io.systemd.service.Ping", varlink_method_ping,