diff --git a/src/shared/vpick.c b/src/shared/vpick.c
index 6f15a7070d1..1870fb97ef7 100644
--- a/src/shared/vpick.c
+++ b/src/shared/vpick.c
@@ -141,8 +141,7 @@ static int pin_choice(
         assert(toplevel_fd >= 0 || toplevel_fd == AT_FDCWD);
         assert(inode_path);
         assert(filter);
-
-        toplevel_path = strempty(toplevel_path);
+        assert(ret);
 
         if (inode_fd < 0 || FLAGS_SET(flags, PICK_RESOLVE)) {
                 r = chaseat(toplevel_fd,
@@ -271,8 +270,7 @@ static int make_choice(
         assert(toplevel_fd >= 0 || toplevel_fd == AT_FDCWD);
         assert(inode_path);
         assert(filter);
-
-        toplevel_path = strempty(toplevel_path);
+        assert(ret);
 
         if (inode_fd < 0) {
                 r = chaseat(toplevel_fd, inode_path, CHASE_AT_RESOLVE_IN_ROOT, NULL, &inode_fd);
@@ -486,12 +484,13 @@ static int make_choice(
                         ret);
 }
 
-int path_pick(const char *toplevel_path,
-              int toplevel_fd,
-              const char *path,
-              const PickFilter *filter,
-              PickFlags flags,
-              PickResult *ret) {
+int path_pick(
+                const char *toplevel_path,
+                int toplevel_fd,
+                const char *path,
+                const PickFilter *filter,
+                PickFlags flags,
+                PickResult *ret) {
 
         _cleanup_free_ char *filter_bname = NULL, *dir = NULL, *parent = NULL, *fname = NULL;
         const char *filter_suffix, *enumeration_path;
@@ -500,8 +499,8 @@ int path_pick(const char *toplevel_path,
 
         assert(toplevel_fd >= 0 || toplevel_fd == AT_FDCWD);
         assert(path);
-
-        toplevel_path = strempty(toplevel_path);
+        assert(filter);
+        assert(ret);
 
         /* Given a path, resolve .v/ subdir logic (if used!), and returns the choice made. This supports
          * three ways to be called:
@@ -647,6 +646,7 @@ int path_pick_update_warn(
 
         assert(path);
         assert(*path);
+        assert(filter);
 
         /* This updates the first argument if needed! */
 
@@ -658,7 +658,9 @@ int path_pick_update_warn(
                       &result);
         if (r == -ENOENT) {
                 log_debug("Path '%s' doesn't exist, leaving as is.", *path);
-                *ret_result = PICK_RESULT_NULL;
+
+                if (ret_result)
+                        *ret_result = PICK_RESULT_NULL;
                 return 0;
         }
         if (r < 0)