diff --git a/src/core/manager.c b/src/core/manager.c
index c7cd1fbc6d..ee28bf4e98 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.c
+++ b/src/core/manager.c
@@ -1188,18 +1188,15 @@ static void unit_gc_sweep(Unit *u, unsigned gc_marker) {
                         is_bad = false;
         }
 
-        if (u->refs_by_target) {
-                const UnitRef *ref;
+        const UnitRef *ref;
+        LIST_FOREACH(refs_by_target, ref, u->refs_by_target) {
+                unit_gc_sweep(ref->source, gc_marker);
 
-                LIST_FOREACH(refs_by_target, ref, u->refs_by_target) {
-                        unit_gc_sweep(ref->source, gc_marker);
+                if (ref->source->gc_marker == gc_marker + GC_OFFSET_GOOD)
+                        goto good;
 
-                        if (ref->source->gc_marker == gc_marker + GC_OFFSET_GOOD)
-                                goto good;
-
-                        if (ref->source->gc_marker != gc_marker + GC_OFFSET_BAD)
-                                is_bad = false;
-                }
+                if (ref->source->gc_marker != gc_marker + GC_OFFSET_BAD)
+                        is_bad = false;
         }
 
         if (is_bad)